What’s the point of these again?

What’s the point of a PHEV in general? To give you zeroemissions commuting ability during the week (so MondayFriday, you really are driving an EV) but retain use of the longerrange and much more widespread fast-refuelling infrastructure of petrol when you go further afield.

What’s the point of a PHEV Range Rover? That’s easy. These are exquisite luxury vehicles and electric power takes them to nextlevel refinement. Gliding along in silence in a Range Rover is a real feel-good experience; potentially a guilt-free one too. different physical dimensions).

The 13.1kWh battery can be charged at home in about sevenand-half hours (so very much an overnight thing), or in about twoand-a-half hours using a gruntier ‘‘wallbox’’.

When you’re finished being obsessive about running on pureelectric power, the powertrain retains impressive battery capacity for petrol-electric running.

Even if you’re technically in ‘‘hybrid’’ mode in city driving, it’s still running on silent electric power a lot of the time. Dynamic P400e (there’s a mouthful) is $7000 more expensive than the same-specification SDV8

4.4-litre turbo-diesel (0-100kmh acceleration is almost identical), although the plug-in does pick up an upgraded audio system and panoramic roof.

The Range Rover Vogue SE

P400e is just $2000 more than the

SDV8 equivalent and again, very similar acceleration to 100kmh.

Range Rovers are supremely luxurious vehicles, so driving around on silent electric power creates a pretty awesome ambience.

The P400e powertrain does have a very different character to the equivalent SDV8 turbo-diesel of course. Bit more lively and way more refined in urban running, where the diesel can feel a bit laggy and sluggish.

The PHEV is no match for the massive torque and deep soundtrack of the SDV8 at speed on the open road, although the

P400e does make good use of its battery boost to maintain strong performance even when you’re pressing on.

The opportunity cost with the

P400e is that it definitely sounds like something with a fourcylinder engine (which it is) under load.

Not normally a fan of fake noise, but this PHEV powertrain would be a good candidate for an enhanced soundtrack in the cabin to make it feel a bit more special at speed.

Otherwise it’s standard-issue super-luxury Range Rover: the Sport is a bit sharper and has a proper gearlever, the big one is magnificently roly-poly yet also astonishingly tenacious in turns.