This insane SUV is what happens when Range Rover lets loose
Picture the scene: you're filthy rich, addicted to luxury, and have a secret ambition to drive around the automotive equivalent of a stately home/battleship hybrid. Just for you, Range Rover has whipped the SVAutobiography out of the garage, the pinnacle of both the marque's premium SUV line, and of its Special Vehicle Operations customs division. Differentiating itself from not only rivals but its own, more affordable siblings by virtue of flexibility, the true meaning of SVAutobiography is being able to get as luxurious – or ridiculous – as your wallet might allow.
Even in (relatively) restrained form at the New York Auto Show today, the SVAutobiography proved striking. Range Rover has given it a duo-tone paint-job, evoking a bygone era of luxury sedans from Bentley and Rolls Royce, and of course you can pick from the company's range of nine lower body colors to match the Santorini Black upper body.
Up front, the grille is unique to the model, and the Range Rover badging is exclusive to the SVAutobiography too. Engine options top out at the 542 HP supercharged 5.0-liter V8, and you can have either the regular or long-wheelbase version of the car.
However it's when you clamber inside that things get really interesting. The Special Vehicle Operations team has gone a little wild, and thrown masses of hand-finished luxury into the SUV.
So, you get machined-aluminum controls and trim, with even the cupholders and the surround to the 12V power outlet getting a splash of metal. The coat hooks get a solid aluminum upgrade, and in the back there are motorized foldaway tables with integrated USB power outlets and angle-adjustable holders for the tablet of your choice.
In the trunk, you can specify a wood veneer and metal sliding loadspace floor, which extends out to make loading easier. There's also what Range Rover calls "Event Seating" – or what you could think of as tailgating chairs gone super-luxe – consisting of two Windsor leather chairs that hook onto the lower part of the rear hatch.
The standard kit isn't the end of things, however, and if you have the budget, Range Rover will be happy to customize things to your taste. Whether that's also tasteful is up to the person holding the checkbook, of course.
Range Rover says the 2016 SVAutobiography will go on sale this summer, replacing the Autobiography Black as the flagship model. In addition to the supercharged V8, it'll be available in hybrid and diesel forms; pricing across the board is yet to be announced, but we're told to expect it to be "expensive."
