Land Rover Discovery SVX: Is this the most extreme Land Rover ever?

Jaguar Land Rover has unveiled what looks to be the most extreme Land Rover ever built – the Land Rover Discovery SVX.

The Land Rover Discovery first debuted way back in 1989, but the third-generation model – launched in 2017 – shows how far the company has come. With a more luxurious body and amped-up internals, the Land Rover Discovery is an extreme bit of kit. So what does that make Land Rover’s latest SUV?

Amidst the madness of this year’s Frankfurt Motor Show, Land Rover unveiled what it calls the “pinnacle of the Discovery family”. The Land Rover Discovery SVX is described as the “ultimate all-terrain Discovery”, and is the first Land Rover ever to bear the “SVX” moniker.

Check it out:

It features a huge 525hp 5.0-litre supercharged V8 petrol powertrain, and comes with a number of enhancements over the standard Discovery. For instance, it’s got increased ground clearance, body and suspension lifts, greater wheel articulation, and huge 815mm all-terrain tyres – yes, that’s nearly a metre in diameter.

It’s being built by Jaguar Land Rover’s secret Special Vehicle Operations (SVO) team, which are responsible for some of the most hardcore JLR motors to date – including the Jaguar F-Type SVR and the upcoming all-electric Jaguar I-Pace eTrophy race car.

Speaking about the news, John Edwards, Managing Director of Jaguar Land Rover Special Operations, said: “SVO designers and engineers are embedded within the Land Rover team and have unleashed their own passion for adventure to create another truly desirable and versatile vehicle in the Land Rover line-up.”

The Discovery SVX also features a Hydraulic Active Roll Control (H-ARC) system, which Land Rover says offers increased wheel articulation and improved body control, purportedly “enhancing extreme off-road traction, while also reducing body roll” for a smoother drive overall.

Oh, and it was potentially inspired by a goat:

There’s an eight-speed Automatic Transmission with twin-speed transfer box, as well as all the usual dynamic Discovery features, including:

• Terrain Response 2
• Hill Descent Control
• Electronic Traction Control
• Adaptive Dynamics
• Dynamic Stability Control
• All-Terrain Progress Control
• Electric Power-Assisted Steering

The exterior design is also slightly more aggressive than the Land Rover Discovery proper, with unique front and rear bumpers with protective skid plates, as well as exposed ‘Rush Orange’-finished metal recovery eyes. You can also get the car in an exclusive satin Tectonic Grey paint finish, which features a combination of Lunar and Light Oyster with Rush orange accents inside, and ‘X’ logo perforations on the SVX-branded seats.

“The combination of design excellence and engineering integrity inherent in every Land Rover is the foundation of everything we do,” said Gerry McGovern, Land Rover’s Chief Design Officer. “The Discovery SVX reinforces Land Rover’s unrivalled reputation for building vehicles with true all-terrain capability for customers who desire the ultimate in off-road performance.”

Unfortunately, there’s no word on pricing or release just yet, but given that the new Land Rover Discovery starts at £43,495, you can bet the SVX variant will be much pricier.

Related: Range Rover Velar

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