It Looks Like the Land Rover Discovery SVX Is Dead
Land Rover showed a V-8–powered Discovery SVX concept in 2017, but U.K. media are reporting it's not going to reach production.
The SVX name may still be used later, the sources report.
The problem may be the age of the V-8 engine that was going to be used.
UPDATE 2/15/19: Land Rover confirmed that the Discovery SVX concept will not reach production, at least not with the planned V-8 powertrain. Land Rover spokesperson Maria Rodriguez did say, "We are investigating opportunities to bring Land Rover vehicles with enhanced all-terrain capability to market in the future."
Things don't seem to be running so smoothly at Jaguar Land Rover's Special Operations Division. Last month, the sub-brand said that it would not be going ahead with the Range Rover SV coupe, which it had planned to produce in a limited series of 999 cars. Now, according to fresh reports from U.K. media, it is also reconsidering the Discovery SVX, which was meant to combine the brand's familiar supercharged 5.0-liter V-8 with an extra-tough version of the family hauler.
Now the U.K.'s Autocar says that the V-8–powered Discovery won't happen but that the brand is still planning to use the SVX brand later on. We suspect that a large part of the problem is likely the advancing age of the V-8 engine itself, which is getting close to retirement. Land Rover actually announced the first vehicle to be powered by its new hybridized six-cylinder engine yesterday, a U.K. version of the Range Rover Sport, with this powerplant set to be rolled quickly through the company's range. While the new engine can't match the firepower of the supercharged V-8, which makes 395 horsepower against the SVX's proposed 518 horsepower, we expect more powerful versions to follow. We also know that JLR has previously discussed the idea of using BMW's twin-turbo 4.4-liter V-8.
But whatever happens in the future, SVO has been swinging more than it has been connecting. There have been some solid hits, most obviously the Range Rover SVR which has sold strongly, and also some of the stunning "continuation" models of heritage classics that the brand has also brought back to life. But there have also been many misses: the V-8–powered F-Pace SVR was meant to be launched last year and is visible on the brand's configurator, but it has been held up by what the company describes as a parts-supply issue. The expensive Project 8 sedan has also failed to spawn the more accessible XE SVR which would help to offset some of its development costs and rival cars like the BMW M3 and the Mercedes-AMG C63 sedan. Insiders say there are no plans for one.
To add insult to injury, Chinese brand Geely, which recently acquired Lotus, has poached SVO chief designer Wayne Burgess to run its new U.K. studio, the latest in a series of executive departures.
If SVO is going to have a long-term future, it needs to start getting some runs on the board.
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