JLR's new metal cheat sheet: Three new cars to know now

RIGHT NOW, there is a lot of action happening at JLR. Everyone is talking about the incoming Range Rover Electric, Range Rover Sport Electric, the most hyped JLR vehicle of all, the Jaguar Type 01—yes, the production version vehicle of that internet-breaking Jaguar – and, not to mention, the brand new fifth Range Rover model that was announced this week, the very cool Range Rover GT.

All of which we have seen, can say the buzz is justified and that we hope to bring you more details in the coming months as more is revealed and the embargoes lift. What we can say, however, is there is plenty of action happening over at the British luxury carmaker’s HQ that we can talk about right now.

This month, we joined JLR at its Gaydon, UK headquarters and tagged along with Defender and Range Rover at the iconic Goodwood Festival of Speed to get an up close and personal look at some of the British luxury automotive house’s hottest models arriving soon on our roads. Here’s our wrap of three of JLR’s coolest cars to know now, why they’re relevant and worthy of earmarking for their arrival in Australia.

Defender Vertex

What is it?

Vertex is Defender’s new “tough luxury” specification, the most significant design upgrade we’ve seen since its debut in 2020.  It’s tougher, chicer, more muscular and specifically designed for the urban sprawl – the place where most Defenders sold in Australia will spend their lives. But that doesn’t mean its iconic off-roader’s go-anywhere capability has been compromised; in fact, the opposite. The Vertex range can be clocked by its extended front and rear bumpers, bigger grille, Gloss Black tail spoiler, yellow brake callipers and matching exposed rear recovery eyes, and, our favourite option, new Expedition Roof Lights – which are placed on the roof above the windscreen. The latter give the SUV a cooler, tougher character and are part of a new factory-fitted extended accessory range designed for further customisation. We drove the Defender Vertex 90 on the roads of Oxfordshire, off-road at a nearby 4X4 circuit and watched it climb the iconic Goodwood Festival of Speed ahead of us with a roar and can confirm, as a sum of fresh parts, these new design elements give Defender a lower, more muscular stance that only increases its presence on any road.

Why everyone is talking about it:

For one, Defender is a bestseller in Australia, smashing all expectations and sales predictions to become one of our most-loved luxury SUVs on the road. But more than that, we’re finding ourselves in a moment where boxy 4x4s continue to be a luxury signifier and, in some ways, an extension of the wider outdoor-aligned and adventure-seeking trends happening across fashion, culture and lifestyle. Defender has become the vehicle beloved by musicians, designers, athletes, architects and the fashion set, and to match, this update leans hard into styling, presence and adventure modernity. It also debuts a futuristic Patagonia White Matte Wrap, inspired by the peaks of the South American landscape.

Contextually, Vertex and Defender’s wider refresh arrives at a time where the car industry is being inundated with boxy off-roader concepts and new models (and, yes, many copies emerging from China), proof that desire for a rugged luxury SUV hasn’t yet reached its peak. Yet, Defender remains the original, the icon, and seemingly, the model everyone is aspiring to match and benchmark against. Having also recently driven the Vertex range, as well as the theatrical Defender OCTA—the marque’s extremely high-performance variant and a wickedly mean machine on any road surface (and in our opinion, JLR’s fiercest, most capable and enjoyable model to date) – we say, good luck to anyone who dares try.

Range Rover Sport TWENTY Edition

What is it?

It’s now been two decades since Range Rover Sport arrived to shake up the automotive industry and reshape what a high-end performance SUV could be. To mark the occasion, the TWENTY arrives as an extremely limited-run special edition, inspired in part by the radical Range Stormer concept, Land Rover’s first motor show concept car and the seed that planted the idea of Range Rover Sport when it was debuted at the 2004 Detroit Auto Show. Expect plenty of luxurious SV bespoke touches, such as refined Ebony Windsor interiors, ‘TWENTY’ detailing found all over the car (illuminated treadplates, interior scripting and exterior etching, etc), performance seats borrowed from the Range Rover Sport SV flagship and sculpted Black Exterior Pack detailing. At our preview at JLR’s Gaydon headquarters, we saw it in the metal in a vibrant ultra-metallic Sanguinello Orange–a nod to the paint of the original Stormer–though, in Australia, a region notorious for our love of more conservative paints, most of our TWENTY Editions will arrive in Santorini Black or Ostuni White.

Why is everyone talking about it: 

Two things are colliding here, and both are very of-the-moment. First: there’s the rise of 2000s nostalgia and Y2K aesthetics dominating fashion, music and, importantly, design–and Range Rover Sport (and the Stormer–which currently sits in the British Motor Museum) is one of the defining objects of that era. And more importantly: limited editions are one of the luxury industry’s most important levers of engagement right now, with scarce ‘drops’ driving desire at the higher end–not just in cars, but watches, fashion and even marine craft. Objects, such as the TWENTY Edition, not only allow iconic brands like Range Rover to revisit and celebrate their heritage, but offer a new object of desire that can bring collectors along for the ownership ride, and into the modern era. When we say limited, we mean it–orders are open now, but there are only 25 TWENTY Editions available in Australia starting from $233,200.

Range Rover SV Ultra

What is it:

The Range Rover SV Ultra is, in short, the most luxurious interpretation of a Range Rover yet–well, at least without calling on the modern luxury brand’s bespoke division for some hyper-personalisation. It also just so happens to be the most technologically indulgent Range Rover ever created. Though, perhaps not in the way you may think. Driving the tech? Audio technology.

The SV Ultra debuts a brand new, automotive world-first called SV Electrostatic Sound. This is the first high-fidelity audio system of its kind ever fitted to a production car, now being offered as an option exclusively across SV models. Instead of clunky conventional speaker cones, 21 ultra-thin (1mm) “membrane transducers” are built into the redesigned headrests, seatbacks and existing speaker locations (including the headlining) and respond up to 1,000 times faster than a traditional speaker. This results in a crisp, clear and incredibly emotional sound experience that is something closer to a concert hall than an in-cabin sound system, with perfect clarity, a sense of space and plenty of emotion, without having to have your music turned up to 11–and you can even have all that and a conversation over the top. Adding another layer is another first that originally arrived on the Range Rover SV Black, but makes more sense here, called Sensory Floor. This builds on technology found in JLR’s existing Body and Soul Seats (in both first and second rows in the SV Ultra), which have haptic technology that responds to the bass and lower frequencies in audio tracks, for a whole-body feel experience. With the Sensory Floor, these haptic transducers are now also under the footwear mats. There is nothing quite like this in terms of full audio in-car experience on the market.

Then, there is the technology behind this molten-metal silver paint, called Titan Silver, a brand new colour for Range Rover and exclusive to SV Ultra thanks to its meticulous and specialised formulation, which uses real, fine aluminium flake and advanced pigment technology to create that lustrous, mirror‑like finish. Inside, the technology-meets-craftsmanship continues with a new duo‑tone Orchid White and Cinder Grey Ultrafabrics leather-free interior and a new laser-crafted mosaic seat detailing and a fresh rattan palm veneer, also crafted with patented technology. 

Why is everyone talking about it:

In recent years, audio has been emerging as a fresh battleground for luxury car makers–especially amid the age of electrification and the rise of in-car entertainment. If you haven’t noticed yet, you will now–every serious luxury brand is either collaborating with a name from the high-end hi-fi world, like Naim, Meridian, Burmester, Bang & Olufsen, Bowers & Wilkins, or putting serious investment into in-house audio systems. Because, as EV powertrains strip out engine noise and straight-line speed performance numbers start converging across the segment, sound quality has become one of the last remaining ways to lean into luxury. Plus, you might have also noticed that hi-fi and the audiophile are also having a major moment in culture right now.

What the SV Ultra does is change the conversation around how many speakers or watts a car has and instead, lean into the underlying technology. Electrostatic drivers are a different category of hi-fi, the domain of serious studio monitors and the very top tier of headphones prized for speed, weightlessness and clarity that conventional speakers can’t come close to, because there’s no cone, coil or magnet moving air; just a 1mm membrane reacting near-instantly to the signal. What’s more is, this is a Range Rover, so not only are you getting a game-changing hi-fi experience, but it’s in a vehicle that’s been put through 1,000+ hours of testing between -20°C and 65°C, that can survive the Australian outback and the Scandinavian winters, and technically can be driven almost anywhere. Plus, in this model, you’re also getting the most sumptuous and serene version of a Range Rover to date. Range Rover SV Ultra P615,is available to order now, priced from $472,400 plus on-road costs.

---

Related:

Theo James and Letitia Wright join Range Rover for a day of great tennis and greater style

The Defender OCTA Black sets a new benchmark for luxury off-roaders