WeeklySA_AdminLUSTROUS FINISHES: The SV Ultra is much more than performance and is offered in a cabin immersed with wellness modes that enhance focus and relaxation but at a price…
By Ali Mphaki
The general mood in South Africa this week may have been less than cheerful what with the timely arrival of Jack Frost plummeting temperatures in most parts of the country to near freezing point.
As a further damper to the spirits Mamelodi Sundowns went top of the Betway Premiership log; Kaizer Chiefs went down 2-nil to Siwelele despite a heroic 1-all draw in the Soweto derby on Sunday; there was some renewed hope in the judiciary when two EMPD head honchos were granted bail on Monday; the Amabutho marched through Tshwane and Jozi streets sending a shiver down the spine of illegal immigrants; and the date for the local elections was set for November 3, 2026.
Whilst glued to the TV screen watching the Madlanga Commission in its stop and start probe of malfeasance in the Tshwane Metro, among others, the motoring public concerned about fuel prices held its breath with the announcement of the arrival of quite possibly the most exquisite interpretation of the Range Rover luxury and distinction – the exclusive Range Rover SV Ultra.
Billed as the most luxurious and technologically advanced Range Rover yet, the SV Ultra breaks cover at a whooping R5 729, 100 for the P550e plug-in-hybrid and up to R7 420, 000 for the PG 15 V8, enough to build a couple of RDP houses and to purchase a dozen or so of Toyota Tazz models.
Now you may ask who in their right minds would splash out such an amount of money for a vehicle which will invariably share the road with the ubiquitous Toyota Quantum taxis whose drivers are expert at bending the rules, and the ever-speeding impatient VW Polo drivers, just to name a few.
No one who buys the Range Rover SV Ultra should have to justify the decision.
The answer, however, may be found in a different quarter at rival Porsche’s Weissach development centre in Germany in 1974 though delivered not in the most politically correct manner.
Legend goes that when one of the technical director’s well-paid staff asked him whom whoever would be able to afford the new expensive Porsche Turbo 911, he replied in his quiet, high voice; “I am the only person here who earns enough to afford this car, and you must therefore expect me to know what people in my income bracket would buy”.
Modesty demands no such a crude aka Bobby Motaung response from the people at Range Rover, but fact of the matter is that the SV Ultra as the top model in its program is of very special significance and one of the principal exhibits supposed to back up the brand’s claim to tech superiority in automotive design and development.
It becomes easier still if the product happens to have strong market features that no other competitor’s product can match, what communications experts call a ‘’unique selling proposition’.
Due to space constraints it is nigh impossible to list all the Range Rover SV Ultra virtues and charms, but the key features are all about that soft life and the cabin is possibly one of the finest places to appreciate loud music.
Thanks to a new technology called “Electrostatic Sound” there are speakers integrated into the headrests, footwells, seatbacks and headlining.
The system features 21 thin transducers which essentially convert each seat into a personal auditorium. Additionally, these are manufactured with zero rare earth elements and from 100 percent upcycled and recyclable materials by mass.
Again, a very fundamental decision when planning the ‘’most tech advanced’ Range Rover was of course which engine should serve as the basis.
To this end the engineers decided to power the Range Rover SV Ultra with a BMW-sourced 4.4-litre turbocharged V8 engine, with a mammoth 452 kW and 750Nm and an 8-speed automatic is on duty.Expect a 0 – 100 spring to be dispatched in around 4,5 seconds. The SV Ultra stands on 23-inch alloy wheels which are finished with satin platinum inserts and new Range Rover centre caps.
A technical masterpiece such as this one ought to make its effect where it belongs.
On the road.
