With prestigious brands Bentley and Maserati readying new luxury SUVs, fearing that its own contender in the segment, the Range Rover, may soon be seen as a bit too plebeian, Land Rover has launched a new flagship version developed together with its personalization department Special Vehicles Operations. The flagship version is called the “Range Rover SVAutobiography”, and it made its world debut on Wednesday at the 2015 New York Auto Show.
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The vehicle adopts Jaguar Land Rover’s supercharged 5.0-liter V-8, rated at 550 horsepower and 502 pound-feet of torque. The engine is common to the Range Rover Sport SVR, which is also built by SVO, but in the SVAutobiography it’s just icing on the cake. The real highlight of this package is the luxury and design sophistication.
The vehicle can be ordered in either standard length or long-wheelbase specification, and on the outside it’s available for the first time with a two-tone finish. Santorini Black is used for the upper section and Land Rover offers nine different colors for the lower part of the vehicle. The grille also wears a unique Graphite Atlas finish, and at the rear “SVAutobiography” badging can be found. Also at the rear, quad-exhaust tips hint at the vehicle’s performance.
![Range Rover SVAutobiography, 2015 New York Auto Show Range Rover SVAutobiography, 2015 New York Auto Show](https://images.hgmsites.net/lrg/range-rover-svautobiography-2015-new-york-auto-show_100506968_l.jpg)
Range Rover SVAutobiography, 2015 New York Auto Show
It’s the interior that’s the real star, however. Much of the driver’s switchgear including the start-stop surround and rotary controls are machined from solid aluminum with beautiful knurled details, as are the foot pedals. This detailing continues to both the front and rear center consoles, with distinctive materials for the cup holder and socket covers. Those at the rear also enjoy a beverage chiller compartment and powered deployable tables, in case they need to get some work done.
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In the trunk, the SVAutobiography offers the option of a sliding luggage floor. Made from aluminum and a choice of wood veneer options, the floor slides rearwards to optimize ease of use for loading and unloading. You can also opt for a frame to which two exterior seats can be mounted, for use when out camping for example.
The 2016 Land Rover Range Rover SVAutobiography goes on sale this fall, priced from $199,495.
To see what else is debuting at the New York Auto Show, head to our dedicated hub.
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