Range Rover has added a new flagship to its SV lineup. The SV Ultra, launched in late April, sits at the top of the Range Rover range and brings with it a set of exterior and interior updates alongside what the brand describes as a world-first in-car audio technology.
The most immediately visible change on the outside is Titan Silver, a new paint finish exclusive to the SV Ultra. Its formulation uses real aluminium flake and advanced pigment technology to produce a highly reflective surface with an iridescent quality. Satin Platinum Atlas and Silver Chrome accents finish the grille and side graphic, while 23-inch alloy wheels carry Satin Platinum inserts and new Range Rover centre caps.
Inside, the SV Ultra moves away from leather entirely, adopting a two-tone Orchid White and Cinder Grey ultrafabrics interior as its signature finish. The material choice is practical as well as aesthetic: its engineered surface allows for a laser-crafted mosaic perforation across the upper seating sections, a level of detailing that traditional leather would not accommodate as cleanly.
A rattan palm veneer, treated with a patented process that preserves its natural grain while applying an Orchid White tint, runs through the cabin from the dashboard to the rear club table and the integrated cooler compartment door. The overall palette is deliberately restrained, built around neutral tones and natural materials.
Phoebe Lindsay, Range Rover’s materiality manager, describes the approach as the brand’s most modernist interpretation of materiality to date.
“Our choice of UltrafabricsTM over leather was intentional; its engineered softness allows for the fine laser‑crafted pattern and intricate perforation that defines the interior,” she explains. “The palm veneer brings a completely new material expression to the cabin … increasing visual brightness and reinforcing a sense of calm, cohesive design.”
The more technically significant development in the SV Ultra is its audio system. The SV Electrostatic Sound, available as an option exclusively across all SV models, is presented as a first for any production vehicle. The system uses 21 thin-film electrostatic transducers, each with a membrane one millimetre thick, integrated into the headrests, seatbacks and headlining. These respond to audio signals up to a thousand times faster than conventional coil speakers, resulting in a more accurate, lower-distortion soundstage. Five bass loudspeakers support the electrostatic panels in the lower frequencies.
There are practical advantages to the technology beyond sound quality. The electrostatic speakers require up to 90% less power and save 90% in mass compared to the conventional speakers they replace. They contain no rare-earth elements and are manufactured from fully upcycled and recyclable materials. The system has also been through more than 1,000 hours of testing across temperature extremes ranging from -20°C to 65°C.
The electrostatic system works alongside two existing Range Rover SV technologies:
- Body and Soul Seats use AI-driven software to analyse audio in real time and generate corresponding vibrations through seat-integrated transducers, allowing occupants to physically feel as well as hear what is playing. Six wellness programmes within the Body and Soul system allow occupants to select modes intended to influence focus or relaxation, with the brand citing potential measurable effects on heart rate variability.
- The Sensory Floor, first introduced on the SV Black and now carried over to the SV Ultra, adds four haptic transducers beneath the floor mats in each passenger footwell, extending the effect across the full cabin.
The SV Ultra is available with a P615 V8 powertrain and is priced from R5,729,100 in South Africa.
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