Revealed: Land Rover Discovery SVX is the new All-Terrain Champion

Land Rover has revealed the Discovery SVX – the ultimate Discovery for off-road enthusiasts. Discovery SVX, launched at the Frankfurt Motor Show, adds extreme all-terrain capability to the Special Vehicle Operations (SVO) product triangle. SVX will sit alongside the acclaimed Range Rover Sport SVR and Range Rover SV Autobiography, which are hallmarks for outstanding on-road performance and supreme luxury respectively. The Discovery SVX will be the first Land Rover hand-assembled by expert craftsmen at the SVO Technical Centre in the UK when production begins in 2018. It is the first modern Land Rover to wear the SVX badge.

It will be offered exclusively with Jaguar Land Rover’s 5.0-litre supercharged V8 petrol powertrain, tuned to deliver 525 PS of peak power and 625 Nm of torque, along with suspension modifications to enhance driver confidence. Hydraulic Active Roll Control (H-ARC), is new to Discovery SVX. It gives increased wheel articulation and improved body control, enhancing extreme off-road traction while also reducing body roll.

Discovery SVX has improved approach, departure and breakover angles, achieved by raising both the lightweight aluminium monocoque architecture and the four-corner air suspension system, employing long-travel dampers and revised knuckles, and fitting larger 815mm diameter 275/55 R20 Goodyear Wrangler all-terrain tyres on forged aluminium alloy wheels. Tyres with higher side-walls reduce contact pressure and improve performance on soft surfaces. Combined with a more aggressive tread pattern, this improves grip in muddy conditions.

Discovery SVX is also equipped with active centre and electronic rear locking differentials which work with the specially tuned Terrain Response 2 system to optimise traction on all surfaces. Complementing these hardware upgrades are unique software calibrations for the eight-speed automatic transmission with twin-speed transfer box, and Discovery’s dynamics systems including Hill Descent Control, Electronic Traction Control (ETC), Adaptive Dynamics, Dynamic Stability Control (DSC), All-Terrain Progress Control (ATPC) and variable ratio electric power-assisted steering (EPAS). Discovery SVX also features a model-first Pistol Shifter in place of the Drive select rotary shifter to offer the driver optimum control of gear selection in off-road maneuvers.