2018 Range Rover SVAutobiography details revealed

Range Rover has released more details of the new flagship Range Rover SVAutobiography ahead of order books opening on Wednesday.

The car is available exclusively in long-wheelbase form and represents the pinnacle of the new Range Rover model line-up, with its starting price of £167,850 meaning it costs over twice the price of the cheapest Range Rover.

The car is available with a 334hp 4.4-litre diesel engine, a 2.0-litre petrol-hybrid setup, or the range-topping 557bhp 5.0-litre supercharged V8.

The Autobiography element denotes its position at the top of the trim range, with the Vogue and Vogue SE available with lesser engines.

The SVAutobiography model is intended to represent the peak of luxury, so there’s a virtually unparalleled level of craftsmanship and technology inside. New to the latest model are power-folding rear doors and reclining airline-style rear seats that feature new padding layers for the best comfort. The seats also have a hot stone massage function, as well as heated calf and foot rests.

The SVAutobiography comes with a concealed fridge between the rear seats, electric rear tables, integrated 10-inch touchscreen rear entertainment screens, as well as 4G wi-fi connectivity. A Zenith clock on the rear centre console is also an exclusive new addition.

New 2018 Range Rover

The Range Rover SVAutobiography is part of the all-new Range Rover line-up. Range Rover is deploying the tactic of ‘if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it’ with the launch of its new and eponymous flagship SUV, which is designed to lure customers away from the new Porsche Cayenne, Audi Q7 and Bentley Bentayga.

The 2018 Range Rover sits at the top of the manufacturer’s line-up and the facelift brings the usual round of fresh bumpers and lights, while the range-topping SVAutobiography model benefits from a 17bhp power boost and now makes 557bhp.

Significantly, the 2018 Range Rover will also be offered with a petrol-electric plug-in hybrid (PHEV) option, giving well-to-do company-car customers a tax-friendly engine option previously missing from the range.

The facelifted Range Rover also features the twin touchscreen infotainment system that debuted in the Velar and was recently announced for the facelifted Range Rover Sport.

2018 Range Rover plug-in hybrid

The new Range Rover plug-in hybrid is known as the P400e. It features a four-cylinder turbocharged petrol engine, which works in conjunction with a lithium-ion battery pack and electric motor, which power all four wheels and produce 398bhp in total.

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Acceleration from 0-62mph officially takes 6.8 seconds but, perhaps more importantly, the P400e Range Rover has an official economy figure of 101mpg, emits just 64g/km of CO2 (for a low 13% Benefit-in-Kind tax rate) and can travel in near-silent electric-only mode for up to 31 miles on a single charge. Enter your destination into sat nav and it'll even plan when to deploy electric power with the greatest efficacy.

Replenishing the Range Rover hybrid’s batteries takes 7.5 hours from a conventional socket, although fast chargers and home-installed wallboxes running at 32 amps can bring this time down to just two hours and 45 minutes. The P400e is available in standard or long-wheelbase form, with Range Rover charging around £8,000 extra for the larger car.

2018 Range Rover: design differences and details

The visual differences to the facelifted Range Rover are subtle enough, but they’re also numerous.

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The front bumper and radiator grille have been reshaped and redesigned, for example, while the car’s signature ‘gills’ on the front doors have been extended and now feature four, rather than the previous three, delineations.

Fresh pixel-LED headlights also feature, bringing both a sharper visual signature and the ability to illuminate and darken specific portions of the road, allowing you to drive on full beams without dazzling other road users.

At the back, new exhaust pipes are neatly integrated into the fresh bumper design, while the rear lights have a cleaner, less cluttered look.

Interior improvements

The changes are more significant inside, mainly due to the fitment of Range Rover’s Touch Pro Duo infotainment setup. Comprising two 10-inch touchscreens, this configurations allots control of the Range Rover’s various off-roading and climate systems to the lower screen, while the top screen takes care of infotainment and navigation duties – although there’s some crossover between the two screens.

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The 2018 Range Rover’s seats are now wider, more comfortable and offer a greater range of adjustment than before

Other fresh technology includes a gesture-controlled sunblind, which lets light flood through the panoramic sunroof with the wave of an arm, and Jaguar Land Rover’s Activity Key.

First seen on the Jaguar F-Pace SUV, the Activity Key is a waterproof wristband that locks and unlocks the car when placed near the second ‘R’ of the boot-based Range Rover badge. It allows you to lock the main car key, safely inactive, in the Range Rover, while you take off on your outdoor pursuits.

The facelifted Range Rover offers up to 18 connection points, including a domestic three-pin plug in the rear.

Luxury features

Part of the appeal of the full-fat Range Rover is its ability to function both as a luxurious SUV and a tall limousine.

That second aspect is taken care of by a number of features. The front passenger seat, for example, can be controlled from the rear, allowing the occupant sitting behind to give themselves more room. Heated rear calf and armrests, massaging rear seats and electronically deployable, heated footrests are also available.

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The rear centre console is also electrically deployable. When in position, the drinks cabinet contained within is accessible, but at the press of a button the whole unit slides up and out of the way, either allowing a third rear-seat passenger to sit in the middle, or providing occupants with easier access.

Other options include a 1,700-watt, 29-speaker sound system and various safety systems, including blind-spot monitoring, traffic-sign recognition and adaptive cruise control.

2018 Range Rover: price and release date

The new Range Rover is available to order now, priced from £79,595 – a circa-£3,000 increase over its predecessor.

A mid-range Vogue SE P400e hybrid is £93,465, while the range-topping long-wheelbase SVAutobiography is £177,030.