Land Rover’s Range Rover SUVs, for decades the image of inefficiency and excess, are being transformed into some of the cleanest vehicles on the road.
Land Rover is starting with the Range Rover Sport which for the 2019 model year will offer a plug-in hybrid option: the P400e.
Arriving in showrooms next summer, the Range Rover Sport P400e will kick off the transformation of Jaguar Land Rover’s lineup into a fully electrified one by 2020.
The powertrain consists of a 2.0-liter turbocharged inline-4 and an electric motor which deliver a combined 398 horsepower and 472 pound-feet of torque. The electric motor is integrated with an 8-speed automatic transmission which is then connected to the Range Rover Sport’s standard 4-wheel-drive system.
The addition of an electric motor also required a unique calibration for Land Rover’s Terrain Response 2 off-road driving modes selector. The new calibration distributes torque from the electric motor, which has no creep speed and maximum torque from zero rpm, to all four wheels. This gives greater control during low-speed off-road maneuvers, Land Rover says.
Land Rover quotes a 0-60 mph time of 6.3 seconds and top speed of 137 mph, which isn’t bad for a vehicle of this size and scope. A battery of 13.1-kilowatt-hour capacity means owners can also expect about 30 miles of pure electric range, albeit with lower performance since the electric motor is rated at just 114 hp. EPA-rated numbers will be announced closer to the market launch.
The charging port can be found at the front of the vehicle, although the battery is stored at the rear for optimal weight distribution. You can set the vehicle to start charging at a specific time (ideally during off-peak times). A white light in the charging port signifies the vehicle is connected but indicates that charging has not started, while a blue light shows that timed charging is set but not underway. A flashing green signal shows the car is charging, while a solid green light indicates the battery is fully charged.
The Range Rover Sport PHEV’s arrival will trail that of an updated Range Rover Sport lineup being introduced for the 2018 model year. The updated lineup will arrive in showrooms in early 2018, bringing with it revised styling, new technologies and, for the SVR model, more power.
Note, similar updates, including the addition of a plug-in hybrid option, will eventually make their way onto the larger Range Rover, also for the 2018 model year.
