The Range Rover Velar SVAutobiography Dynamic Edition appears to offer a beautiful compromise between performance and luxury, as Doug DeMuro recently discovered when putting the SUV through its paces.

While the range-topping Velar may not feature an ‘SVR’ badge as we have come to expect from high-performance Jaguar Land Rover products, it features the brand’s familiar 5.0-liter supercharged V8 engine that churns out no less than 542 hp.

That’s a serious amount of power and is enough to send the SVAutobiography to 100 km/h (62 mph) in 4.5 seconds and through to a top speed of 274 km/h (170 mph). Coupled to the engine is an 8-speed automatic transmission driving an all-wheel drive system with an active locking rear differential.

In addition to slotting in its well-known supercharged V8, Land Rover has also fitted the SUV with a sports-tuned electronic differential, an enlarged braking system as well as an air suspension.

Of course, this SUV isn’t all about performance. Inside, the Velar SVAutobiography appears beautifully luxurious and is loaded with heaps of cool features and pieces of technology. For starters, the SUV doesn’t have just one normal infotainment display but a second display that can control numerous vehicle features, including climate control and media functions. While other JLR products, like the Jaguar XE we recently reviewed, have a similar two-screen setup, the Velar’s system appears a touch more advanced and responsive.