New two-door Range Rover Coupé previewed
Land Rover will mark its 70th birthday with this stylish Range Rover Coupé, of which only 999 will be made. Here's what you need to know...
The current Range Rover is a fine luxury SUV, offering a comfortable ride on the road and prodigous go-anywhere ability off it.
However, while these days it can only be had in five-door form, the original model, launched in 1970, was intially available with only two doors. Now, Land Rover will celebrate its 70th birthday with the new two-door Range Rover SV Coupé.
Only 999 examples of the SV Coupé will be made worldwide. All will be handbuilt by Jaguar Land Rover's Special Vehicle Operations (SVO) division, which currently makes performance versions of the Range Rover Sport and Jaguar F-Type, among others.
Land Rover has visited this territory before, with the Range Stormer concept of 2004 (pictured above). Acting as a prelude to the first Range Rover Sport, the Stormer was powered by a 370bhp V8 engine.
2018 Range Rover SV Coupé interior
While the exterior design won't be seen until the car's debut at the Geneva motor show in March, a single teaser image of the interior shows its four individual seats. Unlike the regular Range Rover, the SV Coupé's centre console remains raised through the length of the car. Many of its other features, including its dual-screen infotainment set-up, are taken from the standard Range Rover, though.
2018 Range Rover SV Coupé engine
Land Rover won't reveal what engine powers the SV Coupé – and it is only likely to be one engine – until closer to the car's Geneva debut, but we expect it to use the same supercharged 557bhp 5.0-litre petrol V8 that's offered in the range-topping Range Rover Sport SVAutobiography.
2018 Range Rover SV Coupé price
Again, it's too early to say for sure, but the SV Coupé is expected to cost substantially more than the current most expensive Range Rover, the SVAutobiography Dynamic, which already carries a price tag of £141,580. At that price, the new model will be competing with other high-performance luxury SUVs such as the Lamborghini Urus and Bentley Bentayga.
The first BMW X5 paved the way for the upmarket SUV, but it was soon joined by a number of similar contenders, which meant this second-generation model had to up its game. It did, luckily, being more spacious and better to drive than the original, with a plusher interior – you even had the option of seven seats. Our price bracket bags us a good clean example of this later version, with an average mileage and a full service history. It may not be the cheapest to run, but it brandishes its quality like a rapier.
We found X5 3.0D SE, 2007 (07), 70,000 miles, full service history, £9995
Even if you’re not a fan of SUVs in general, you can see why they appeal, with their chunky Tonka toy looks and feeling of solidity. And few look more appealing than this third-generation Sportage. In truth, the Sportage is not as engaging to drive as some of its rivals, but it betters many of them on space and practicality. You can pick up a clean 2011 or 2012 example now for our budget and that should give you many years of practical and reliable motoring. You might even get the residue of Kia’s impressive seven-year warranty.
We foun 1.7 CRDi 3, 2011 (11), 79,000 miles, full service history, £10,000
Read the used Kia Sportage review
Find a used Kia Sportage in the What Car? Classifieds
8. Porsche Cayenne
When Porsche announced it was going into the SUV market, there were many who had to go and lie down in a darkened room; and when some saw the Cayenne, they doubted this strategy would come off. In fact, there was no need to panic. The Cayenne embodies all the qualities you would expect from a Porsche: it performs and handles well, with a beautifully made and plush interior. Running costs for this car at this age will be higher than average, but you might consider that a worthwhile payoff for nudging those Porsche keys into your pocket.
We found 4.5 S, 2006 (06), 60,000 miles, service history, £9995
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