LONDON: The Range Rover Sport will have a plug-in hybrid electric powertrain variant for 2018, making it the first Jaguar Land Rover plug-in hybrid electric vehicle.
Today’s reveal follows the news that from 2020 all new Jaguar and Land Rover vehicles will have the option of electrification marking the next step on the British company’s electrification journey.
In addition to the new petrol-electric hybrid options, every Range Rover Sport now has an enhanced design and new consumer technology. The flagship SVR now delivers 575hp, making it the fastest Range Rover to date with a 0-60mph time of 4.3s.
Badged P400e, the hybrid provides sustainable performance by combining a 300hp 2.0-litre four-cylinder Ingenium petrol engine with an 85kW electric motor. The 404hp total available power output[1] – available from the permanent four-wheel drive system – delivers 0-100kph in only 6.7 seconds and a maximum speed of 220kph. With an impressive 640Nm of combined torque, the new powertrain mixes dynamic and sustainable performance with traditional Land Rover capability, comfort and refinement.
Thanks to its electrified powertrain, Range Rover Sport P400e emits only 64g/km on the NEDC cycle and offers an all-electric range of 51km without the petrol engine running. For the first time Land Rover customers can experience zero-emission, near silent off-road luxury with uncompromised all-terrain capability and allowing entry into areas with restrictions for air quality, including most congestion charging zones.
Drivers can select from two driving modes:
> Parallel Hybrid mode (the default driving mode) – combines petrol and electric drive. The driver can optimise battery charge or fuel economy by using one of two charge management functions.
SAVE function prevents the battery charge dropping below the level which has been selected. Predictive Energy Optimisation (PEO) function – entering a destination in the navigation system uses GPS altitude data to intelligently optimise the switch between electric motor and petrol engine maximising fuel economy over gradients along the route.
> EV (Electric Vehicle) mode – EV mode enables the vehicle to run solely on the electric motor using the energy stored in the battery, the ideal solution for quieter zero emission journeys
Land Rover’s Terrain Response 2 technology has a unique calibration to intelligently and precisely distribute 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 manoeuvres.
The motor is powered by a 13.1kWh high-voltage lithium-ion battery. Land Rover engineers delivered a set-up that maximises interior space and provides ideal weight distribution. The 2.0-litre Ingenium petrol engine is longitudinally mounted, with the 85kW electric motor housed on the transmission at the centre of the vehicle along with the 7kW on-board charger. The access point for the cable is at the front of the vehicle, while the 13k.1Wh prism-shaped lithium-ion battery is mounted at the rear beneath the boot floor.
When rapid charging, a full charge can be achieved in 2 hours 45 minutes at home using a dedicated or 32amp wall box. The battery can be fully charged in 7 hours 30 minutes using the 10 amp home charging cable supplied as standard.
With significant changes under the skin, the exterior has evolved to harmonise and modernise the design, making the Range Rover Sport look more dynamic without changing its essential character.
At the front, the new design features intelligent Matrix Pixel LED headlights, sitting alongside a redesigned grille. This is complemented by a new bumper with a more aggressive profile. The new PHEV derivative also includes access to the 7Kw on-board charger hidden behind the Land Rover badge on the right of the grille.
Inside the cabin, the new Touch Pro Duo infotainment system called ‘Blade’ by its developers, is the most advanced from Jaguar Land Rover. Two high-definition 10-inch touchscreens form the centrepiece of the minimalist cabin.
In-car connectivity is enhanced with up to 12 power points, including two domestic plug sockets to keep laptops and other devices topped up. The introduction of the Jaguar Land Rover Activity Key also brings new levels of convenience to the Range Rover Sport, allowing customers to lock and unlock their vehicle without the need to carry a key fob.
Introduced last year, the new Range Rover Sport features Advanced Tow Assist, which takes care of the difficult counter-steering required to position trailers accurately when reversing. The driver can simply guide the trailer into the desired space using the rotary controller for the Terrain Response 2 system.
The British-designed, engineered and Solihull-built Range Rover Sport has sold more than 732,000 since it went on sale in 2005.
