2021 Land Rover Range Rover Sport SVR Carbon Edition

The 2021 Range Rover Sport Supercharged and SVR models are for a different breed of luxury SUV buyer—one who's looking for something with attitude and a thumping V-8 engine. The 5.0-liter mill under the hood of these beasts is supercharged and churns out a healthy 518-hp in its standard guise and a meaty 575-hp in all-out tune for the SVR. High-performance SUVs aren't a new concept; Land Rover has plenty of competition from the likes of BMW, Mercedes-AMG, and Porsche. But what makes the Range Rover Sport Supercharged special is how easily it can transition from back-road pounder to off-road superstar. It's got a softer side as well: both the Sport Supercharged and SVR offer luxuriously-outfitted cabins with lots of room for the family. Of course, all this goodness comes at a stiff price—one that reaches quickly into the six-figure range. A new range-topping SVR Carbon Edition model joins the lineup for 2021. It doesn't offer any additional performance upgrades but instead focuses on a more sinister appearance thanks to exposed carbon fiber on the hood, front bumper, and grille. More carbon fiber trim can be found inside the Carbon Edition's cabin and under the hood; 22-inch gloss-black aluminum wheels are also included. The extra horsepower that's offered on the top-of-the-line SVR trim is nice, but in our opinion it's not quite worth the extra expense. Go with the Dynamic trim and use that savings to add some cool options—or save it for your fuel bill. There's still a lot to love with this ""base"" model, including 21-inch wheels, a power sunroof, a 13-speaker Meridian sound system, 16-way power-adjustable heated front seats, leather upholstery, blind-spot monitoring, and a 360-degree exterior camera system. The supercharged 5.0-liter V-8 engine under the hood is what separates Supercharged and SVR models from more run-of-the-mill Land Rover Range Rover Sports. Simply put: It's a beast. Making 518 horsepower in ""regular"" Supercharged models and 575 in the tuned-up SVR trim, the supercharged V-8 that powers these models is smooth, guttural, and eye-wateringly quick. Paired exclusively with an eight-speed automatic transmission and all-wheel drive, this setup readily and easily blasts past legal speed limits. True to its off-road heritage, the Range Rover Sport Supercharged features an all-wheel-drive system with six selectable drive modes. Auto mode will suffice most of the time, while Dynamic dials in sportier settings for the engine and transmission. If the mood strikes you to take this nearly $100,000 SUV off the beaten path, there are modes for snow, mud, sand, and rock crawling. The Sport Supercharged grips the road tightly when cornering. The steering in our test car was well weighted (perhaps a little too heavy for soccer-drop-off duty, but perfect for back roads) and accurate. The Sport's tall body leans perceptibly in tight corners and sweeping curves—as you might expect in a top-heavy SUV—but it never loses its composure. The Range Rover Sport Supercharged's maximum towing capacity is a stout 7716 pounds. It's difficult to enjoy the visceral pleasures of a supercharged V-8 without suffering at the pump, but the Sport Supercharged is about as efficient as rivals such as the Mercedes-AMG GLE63, the Porsche Cayenne Turbo, and the BMW X5 M. The most efficient model is rated at 17 mpg city and 22 mpg highway. In our real-world highway fuel-economy testing, the Range Rover Sport Supercharged delivered just 18 mpg. Drivers who are more interested in the Range Rover Sport's cachet than in the Supercharged models' performance may be just as happy with the supercharged 3.0-liter V-6 version (reviewed separately). It boasts an EPA rating of 23 mpg highway, while the turbo-diesel model has a highway rating of 28 mpg. The Range Rover Sport Supercharged comes standard with sumptuous leather interior trimmings and can have 20-way adjustable, massaging front seats and four-zone automatic climate control. The Autobiography model we tested, with its top-of-the-line, super-luxe interior treatment, had attractive aluminum trim and plenty of baubles. However, it failed to feel significantly more expensive or comfortable than the interior of any other Land Rover we've driven. Driver and front passenger enjoy acres of space to spread out in the Range Rover Sport, and second-row passengers will be comfortable even if they have slightly less space than those in the second row of the Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT. The optional third row should not be considered a realistic solution for families who frequently need to seat more than five. The Range Rover Sport Supercharged has less cargo space than many competitors, but it still offers enough storage for most every-day use. Cabin cubbies are ample, especially in the front row. In our testing, the Range Rover Sport held fewer carry-on suitcases than its key rivals, but the nine we fit behind the second row of seating (our test vehicle was not equipped with the optional third row) should be enough for most families.