New 2023 Range Rover Sport SVR spied

With the new Range Rover Sport now revealed in full, attention now turns to the range-topping SVR variant. As these latest spy shots show, testing of the forthcoming SVR is already well underway at the Nurburgring in Germany. 

It’s still under camouflage, but we have a clearer idea on how the new SVR will look when it’s revealed. There will be a host of visual tweaks at the front, with a more aggressive bumper, redesigned grilles and potentially new headlights. Elsewhere there are huge brake discs with what look like six-piston calipers at the front, while the large wheels are wrapped in Michelin Pilot Sport SUV tyres. 

More camouflage has been applied to the rear, but it’s possible to make out an even more imposing roof spoiler than the regular Sport’s. The quad exhausts are the biggest departure, sitting either side of a new rear bumper. 

The Range Rover Sport first got a hot SVR version during the facelift of the second-generation model in 2015 – powered by a 550bhp 5.0-litre Supercharged V8. We’re likely to see even more performance in the latest Sport SVR, the flagship utilising the same 4.4-litre twin-turbocharged V8 found in the BMW X5 M Competition. 

That engine is available in the latest full-size Range Rover with 523bhp, but the SVR is more likely to match the X5 M’s 616bhp output. It’s unlikely the SVR will utilise the 644bhp plug-in hybrid powertrain on the upcoming XM, as it would detract too much from BMW’s super SUV. 

We can also expect the new SVR to use the same eight-speed ZF automatic transmission found in the X5 M, and while we don’t get any clue from these spy shots, uprated suspension and larger brakes are a certainty. 

The new Sport sits on JLR’s MLA-Flex platform, allowing for plug-in hybrid and even full electrification. The standard Sport will be available with a pure-electric powertrain and given the instantaneous acceleration afforded by EVs, it’s possible the new SVR won’t be the fastest model within the Range Rover Sport lineup from 0 to 62mph. The new model could well beat the old car’s 4.5 second 0-62mph time and its 176mph top speed, however. 

JLR’s ‘Dynamic Air Suspension’ should feature on the new SVR, using twin air chambers to reduce pitch and roll. A ‘Stormer’ handling pack is an optional extra on the Sport, adding an electronic active differential with torque vectoring by braking and four-wheel steering – a feature that is likely to be standard on the SVR. 

Given that the new Sport was revealed on 10 May, the SVR should be with us before the end of the year. Prices are likely to start from well over £100,000. 

Now check out our review on the new Range Rover here…