Being in the top 10 per cent or even the top 1 per cent doesn’t cut it anymore. The popular rich are now too mainstream as the appeal around the secretively wealthy is gaining cult-like status in pop culture. And even though Succession might give us a glimpse of what the 0.01 per cent live like, it, perhaps, barely scratches the surface of the secretive lives of the ultra-uber rich.
Love them or hate them, the 0.01 per cent reportedly hold up to 11 per cent of the world’s wealth and lead their lives, understated, hiding behind tinted luxury vehicles and Aimé Leon Dore clothes, similar to an episode of HBO’s Succession. While on most days, commoners like us are reduced to being both real and reel spectators, I recently got to sample the Range Rover SV, as part of Jaguar Land Rover’s experiences, which took us from BKC, Mumbai to Oleander Farms in Karjat, in a way that would be perhaps a normal day in the life of Logan Roy.
Unlike most of my Sundays, this one began a couple of hours too early, made worse by an annoying hangover and Mumbai’s sauna-like summer in May. If this is how the uber-rich start their day, no wonder the Roys have a permanent scowl on their faces, I reckoned.
Soon, though, the grumpiness was washed away when the Range Rover SV drove in to pick us up. Without any exaggeration, the SV looks like it’s made out of a single piece of marble. The design is, of course, borrowed from the flagship Range Rover. It might be understated, but it is also neat and clean-cut with sleek elements sprinkled across its bodywork.
Despite being a behemoth, the luxury SUV doesn’t intimidate you like its German or Italian counterparts. But rather, impresses you. It isn’t exactly flashy but opulent, very similar to the difference between old money and new. The focus here is to not be garish or loud like certain European brands, but quiet and subtle with something along the lines of Loro Piana. The latter of which has been closely tied to Kendall, Shiv, and Roman’s attires in the show.
After a brief technical session, we were redirected to the two executive seats inside, which I suspect have the superpower of immediately making you feel underdressed. The cabin immediately gives you the feeling of uber luxury, with soft-touch panels all around, highlighted further with leather upholstery (which can be swapped for vegan options). The seats are divided by an extended mid-section, which houses the mini-fridge, a touchscreen to control the seat and cabin functionality and a compartment to store your champagne glasses in, in case you crack a deal for Waystar Royco.
If that isn’t enough entertainment, the seat itself can be reclined all the way down, making it comfortable enough to take a nap. Of course, my focus here was to ditch the nap and explore as many bells and whistles as I could for the next two hours, through the SV’s infotainment system which can be used via the touch controls placed next to the passenger seats (both front and rear). So, strapped to the seat, with the seat ventilation on and massage function on, we commenced our journey onwards.
While I was fiddling away with different knobs and switches, I almost didn’t notice the SV being pulled away from the parking. This particular unit we were in had 23-inch wheels (which can be upgraded to 24-inch) and suspension set towards a softer setting. Getting out of the city through a mix of gravel and cement roads did feel a little bouncy, with a healthy amount of body roll while taking sharper turns. On the Mumbai-Pune Expressway, though, the whole thing transformed into Aladdin’s Carpet, but with climate control and premium seat cushioning difficult to find in most modern-luxury vehicles I’ve been in. The SV rides smoothly, almost making you feel like you’re flying. But instead of clouds, what you see is people gawking at the car.
What’s more surprising is its ability to pack power with sophistication. Many times during our chauffeur-driven experience, the speedometer crossed the 100km/h mark, but never did I hear any road noise seeping through the cabin, thanks to the noise-cancelling system Range Rover has installed inside the headrest itself. This feeling is only made better by the full-recliner-like seat adjustability the SV offers.
What you do feel, though, is the sheer grunt of the machine when pushed. I still remember the feeling of all the 530PS of power waiting to be unfurled through its BMW-sourced 4.4-litre twin-turbo V8 engine.
Despite my feeble attempts to spend the day inside the car, we were then whisked away for a day of wine tasting and lunch. After sweating the same amount of wine we drank in the heat, coming back to the SV’s cabin and the massage seats with more than 24-way adjustable heated, coles, and hot stone massage options, tailored to work on every muscle of your back, were a welcome feature. I am also happy to report that the seat ventilation works wonders, targeting your entire back at the press of a button. While SV offers both heated and cooled options, Mumbai’s weather made me stick to the latter. Although, an apples-to-oranges comparison did make me feel that the Jaguar sedans do it a little better.
On the way back, though, despite it being late in the evening, the gawking persisted and even peaked. Now, the Mumbai-Pune Expressway has seen its fair share of exotic beauties, but the attention the Range Rover SV got was not something I was expecting. I remember cars pulling close to us just to give us a thumbs-up or a head nod. At one point, a motorcycle with a young rider and a pillion slowed down next to us just to take in every inch of the car, reminiscent of the days when I used to do the same on my motorcycle.
The Range Rover SV is capable of delivering the same luxury experience as any of its other competitors, but in a subtle, sophisticated way. Here, there are minimum compromises on functionality over form. A feeling compounded by the fact that Rangies are made to get down and dirty when the tarmac gets rough, or ends. In both cases though, there’s no compromise on the luxury and the ride quality on offer while things inside keep you cocooned in luxury. As someone famous would say, it is, in fact, a serious car for serious people.
