Land Rover unveiled the ruggedly awesome Discovery SVX at the 2017 Frankfurt Motor Show and it was originally slated to go into production the following year. That sadly never happened, but it appears the SVX name will live on with a hardcore Defender.
Spy photographers recently caught up with a prototype near the Arctic Circle and it looks fantastic even in unfinished form. While the front end is heavily camouflaged, the SUV is expected to be equipped with a clearance maximizing bumper and a lightly revised fascia.
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The most noticeable change is a set of 20-inch gloss black wheels that are wrapped in meaty BFGoodrich Trail Terrain T/A tires. They’re joined by skid plates, extended fender flares, and a four-tailpipe exhaust system. We can also expect some suspension tweaks, although details are lacking and the standard model is already impressive as it sports an air suspension that provides up to 11.5 inches (292 mm) of ground clearance.
Little else is known about the model at this point, but it’s expected to feature a supercharged 5.0-liter V8 that develops 518 hp (386 kW / 525 PS) and 461 lb-ft (624 Nm) of torque. It should be connected to an eight-speed automatic transmission and an off-road focused four-wheel drive system. This setup enables the similar Defender 110 V8 to accelerate from 0-60 mph (0-96 km/h) in 5.1 seconds and hit a top speed of 149 mph (240 km/h), but the SVX won’t be as performance-focused.
Land Rover has been tight-lipped about the Defender SVX, but it’s expected to debut later this year or in early 2024.
