Fancy a Land Rover Discovery with added oomph and off-road ability? Well, the British automaker has you covered. Yes, the Discovery SVX has been unveiled in Frankfurt in “production preview” form, with Land Rover describing it as “the pinnacle of the Discovery family”.
Courtesy of the folks over at Land Rover’s Special Vehicle Operations (SVO) division, the Discovery SVX will be offered exclusively with the brand’s 5,0-litre supercharged V8 petrol engine, which delivers 386 kW and 625 N.m in this application.
The Discovery SVX furthermore boasts a handful of “functional suspension modifications” that the Coventry-based automaker promises will “enhance driver confidence when tackling the toughest terrain”.
That includes a new Hydraulic Active Roll Control (H-ARC) system that serves up increased wheel articulation and improved body control, while also “reducing body roll for smooth and sure-footed on-road driving”.
The SVX features improved approach, departure and breakover angles, which Land Rover achieved by raising both the aluminium monocoque architecture and the four-corner air suspension system, employing long-travel dampers and revised knuckles, and fitting larger 815 mm diameter 275/55 R20 Goodyear Wrangler all-terrain tyres.
The Discovery SVX is also equipped with active centre and electronic rear locking differentials and incorporates traction control to “maximise grip on all surfaces”. The eight-speed automatic transmission (with twin-speed transfer box) also gains revised software, along with a “pistol shifter” in place of the familiar drive select rotary shifter.
Visually, the SVX features unique front and rear bumpers (with skid plates and metal recovery eyes), along with an anti-glare bonnet finish and an integrated rear-mounted electric winch system.
Further differentiation includes a new Tectonic Grey paint finish, a unique colour combination inside and “X” logo perforations on the SVX-branded seats. Black side vents with V8 badging, a black grille, black roof rails and a roof-mounted unit with two additional light pods complete the transformation.
