SVR bits and Autobiography glam on a standard wheelbase

There’s a new kid in town over at Land Rover, which cherry-picks some of the most choice elements from the Range Rover parts bin. While we’ve seen (and slobbered over) both the Range Rover Sport SVR and Range Rover SVAutobiography, the new 2017 Range Rover SVAutobiography Dynamic wedges itself between the two in search of a balance between elite-level luxury and performance.

or starters, the 2017 Range Rover SVAutobiography Dynamic rides exclusively on a standard wheelbase rather than the long wheelbase reserved for the SVAutobiography that arrived to market last year. The new Dynamic model does, however, share with its big brother the same 550-hp supercharged 5.0-liter V-8 engine, bristling with 502 lb-ft of torque and paired with a ZF eight-speed automatic transmission.

There are also some suspension changes to the Dynamic model intended to inch it closer to full-bore Range Rover Sport SVR territory, such as active anti-sway bars and adaptive dampers. So you won’t forget, SVAutobiography Dynamic comes with red-painted Brembo brake calipers living snugly inside your choice of 21-inch or 22-inch aluminum wheels.

Inside, the new tweener Range Rover is essentially a shorter SVAutobiography. Which means it’s a damn fine place to drive just about anywhere on planet earth. You can treat yourself to handsome 20-way adjustable leather seats with diamond-quilt patterns, a litany of color and veneer trim choices for the interior, and dashing touchpoints like a knurled metal rotary knob and start-stop button. When it comes to waking up, jumping into your SUV, and feeling like a badass, Range Rover has it figured out.

The SVAutobiphraphy Dynamic also gets a few improvements that will soon spread across the 2017 Range Rover lineup. Chief among these is a standard InControl Touch Pro 10.2-inch infotainment system, which is by no exaggeration a quantum leap compared to the outgoing system. New Range Rovers also come standard with rear park alert, lane departure warning, and autonomous emergency braking, while adaptive cruise control, blind spot monitoring, and traffic sign recognition (plus more) are available as well.

For the select few Range Rover drivers who actually use the off-road capability of their vehicles, new technologies like a low-traction launch system and a handy All-Terrain Info Center in the display screen make things a tad easier.

Does the 2017 Range Rover SVAutobiography Dynamic really need to exist? Probably not, but given the success of the long-wheelbase SVAutobiography, it definitely won’t hurt Land Rover’s bottom line. The Dynamic model starts at $171,990 including destination, which is a hefty chunk of change below the $200,490 you’ll need to cough up for its big brother