Range Rover Sport PHEV
FIRST DRIVE Plug-in power is a qualified success on luxurious sporting SUV
Our verdict on luxurious SUV with plug-in power
THIS year will see more electric cars hit the market than ever before, but Land Rover won’t be missing out as it launches plug-in versions of the Range Rover (Issue 1,502) and this, the new 2018-model-year Range Rover Sport.
Like its bigger brother, the hybrid Sport will wear a P400e badge on its back, denoting the mix of petrol and electric tech, and the total power – in this case, just a shade under 400bhp.
That output comes from a 296bhp 2.0-litre four-cylinder engine (available on its own in the Si4 model) plus an 85kw electric motor. The electric boost only knocks 0.7 seconds off the Si4’s 0-60mph time, but the claimed fuel economy figures shoot up from 30.7mpg to 101mpg.
Of course, the real-world figure will be nowhere near that when we get to test the car in the UK. But what is set in stone is the 64g/km CO2 figure, and its resulting savings in company car tax.
For our test, we were on a mix of clogged and slightly freer-flowing Californian streets with some mild offroad tracks thrown in for good measure. Like the Range Rover PHEV, the Sport P400e works well around town, where it will accelerate quickly and quietly on electric power. Land Rover claims an EV range of 31 miles, but we’d say that would be closer to the mid-twenties in everyday use. Charging time for the battery ranges from two hours, 45 minutes with a fast charger to seven-and-a-half hours with a 10-amp home charger.
We took advantage of the save mode in the hybrid system to see how an EV copes off road (and the answer is rather well, with excellent power control), but when you’re saving battery power or have run out, you’ll have to rely on the four-cylinder engine – and that’s where the Sport isn’t at its best.
The extra weight of the plug-in system means the engine has to work harder than it would otherwise – and it’s not the most refined unit. So if you floor the throttle and ask for maximum power from both power sources (this is the Range Rover Sport, after all), then the whine of the engine is at odds with the sporting luxury of the car.
The P400e Sport still offers a good blend of ride comfort and decent agility for a large SUV, while the 18-model-year
“It works well in town, where it accelerates both quickly and quietly on electric power”
tweaks have softened the looks outside (although it takes a hard stare to realise) and added new LED headlights.
Inside, the Sport is as attractive and spacious as ever, with the addition of the twin-screen Touch Pro Duo infotainment system that looks great, but still lags behind rivals on smartphone connectivity.
If you love your tech, though, you’ll spend hours opening and closing the sunblind on the panoramic roof just by waving your hand back and forth in front of the rear view mirror.
A plug-in Range Rover Sport costs between £5,655 and £1,455 more than an equivalent 3.0-litre V6 diesel, depending on spec. Given the potential tax benefits, that looks like a steal. But it only really works if you use electric power lots; if your lifestyle revolves around longer distances then a diesel may still suit you better when realworld economy is taken into account.