COVER Range Rover Sport plug-in
We’re on the road in new petrol-electric P400e
JAGUAR Land Rover’s push towards an electrified future is in full swing. The I-pace is an EV champ, having been crowned our Car of the Year 2018, and the firm has already been spied testing Co2-reducing mild-hybrid technology for its next-generation saloons and SUVS.
It is also forging ahead with plug-in hybrids, so both the full-fat Range Rover and the smaller Range Rover Sport are now available in P400e guise. Matching a four-cylinder petrol engine with an electric motor, each is capable of up to 31 miles on electric power alone.
We first drove the Sport PHEV in Los Angeles earlier this year (Issue 1,506), and were impressed by its mix of luxury and refinement. Does it fare as well on UK roads as on smooth California tarmac?
At low speeds at least, the plug-in powertrain is a perfect fit. Pulling away in EV mode is beautifully befitting of the brand, building on the level of luxury so often associated with a Range Rover. There’s just enough zip around town; you can glide effortlessly between traffic lights before parking in total silence.
But as in other PHEVS, that quietness emphasises unavoidable background noises, many of which wouldn’t be noticeable in a petrol or diesel car. Luckily, build quality is first rate, so squeaks and rattles are few and far between, and even on huge 21-inch wheels it is quiet at motorway speeds.
It’s comfortable, too. While it can’t match the faultless ride quality of its bigger brother, the Range Rover Sport smooths all but the worst bumps from beneath your bottom. Go for those optional wheels and you will detect the occasional knock in the cabin, but on the whole it’s supremely damped.
However, the PHEV isn’t without its compromises. Of course, if you regularly drive more than 30 miles in a single hit you’ll depend heavily on the petrol engine. While it won’t throw in the towel if you decide to up the pace, it’s not the most tuneful unit, either. Hauling around almost 2.5 tonnes has its efficiency issues; run the batteries down and you’ll be lucky to hit 30mpg. Those covering big miles are better suited to the SDV6.
Another problem is the way the model continually hesitates when pulling away from junctions and roundabouts; ask for a sudden burst of acceleration and it will first pause, before ungracefully hurling
“There’s just enough zip around town; you can glide effortlessly between traffic lights”
“It changes direction sharply, and shifts up and down its ZF box without fuss. The power is there when you want it, too”
you towards the horizon. That initial lack of response can be incredibly frustrating.
But when you’re up and running, the hybrid Range Rover gives little away to its conventionally powered cousins. It changes direction sharply, and shifts up and down its ZF box without fuss. The power is there when you want it, too.
Of course, everything else is just as you’d expect it. The cabin is beautiful, and the updated MY18 infotainment package is much better than before. There’s still no Apple Carplay or Android Auto fitted, but the dual-screen set-up is responsive and packed with features.
The commanding view of the road extends to those in the rear, who are treated to all the same high-quality materials as those up front. P400e buyers aren’t offered the third row of seats available elsewhere in the Sport range, but that shouldn’t put you off; the sixth and seventh seats were only ever reserved for very small children at best.