There’s no denying the fact that Land Rover is on a high at the moment. The amazing success of the Evoque with incredible global sales was followed swiftly by the introduction of an all-new Range Rover and Range Rover Sport.
And now Land Rover has just unveiled its latest models – full-blooded hybrid versions of the Range Rover and Range Rover Sport – both with incredible performance capabilities.
The Range Rover Hybrid, priced £98,415 and the Range Rover Sport Hybrid, costing £81,550 are each powered by 3.0-litre SDV6 HEV engines mated to a 35kW electric motor. This delivers 0-62 sprint times of 6.9 seconds and 6.7 seconds respectively.
The models boast outstanding performance with 340PS and a class-leading 700Nm of torque, which is superior to the 4.2-litre V8 engine. Both also feature an eight-speed automatic gearbox.
Carbon emissions have been slashed to 169g/km for the vehicles and fuel efficiency is a very respectable 44.1mpg for a combined run.
Unlike many other hybrids, space within the Land Rover models hasn’t been compromised as the liquid-cooled battery is positioned underneath the car and is fully protected by a boron steel undershield, which can survive the battering demanding off-road ventures may bring.
A liquid cooled battery was chosen because it is much quieter than air cooled equivalents and Range Rover owners expect that kind of perfection.
Featuring regenerative braking along with stop/start technology to help improve efficiency, the car can be driven for up to a mile in pure electric mode and full hybrid driving is achieved when the motor boosts the engine – this is when the vehicle is at its most efficient.
There are three drive modes – EV is for electric driving only, Sport introduces enhanced sporting dynamics with sharper acceleration, and finally, Command Shift mode which increases the responses even further.
We tested out the Range Rover Hybrid on a short road route around Frankfurt prior to its official unveiling at the 2013 Frankfurt Motor Show and it was as smooth as silk as it pulled away in complete silence. The diesel engine cuts in automatically when needed.
Peter Richings, director of hybrids at Land Rover, summed up perfectly when he explained: “This is the latest step in our journey and is a milestone for both Land Rover and the SUV segment with the introduction of the world’s first all-terrain hybrid.”
The order books open this month for both the Range Rover and Range Rover Sport Hybrid models. Deliveries will be early 2014.