Road test: T

HE first plug-in Range Rover is on the way as Land Rover gears up its electronic revolution.

On paper it’s the first 100mpg-plus Range Rover and with emissions of just 64g/km the plug-in hybrid has immense appeal to business users.

In reality it’s a bit of a gas-guzzler once the electricity has gone – expect little more than 25 to the gallon on a run – but that’s going to do nothing to diminish its low tax status set by its CO2 output.

And as with any PHEV there’s a variety of ways of getting more out of the Range Rover P400e on shorter trips.

Land Rover claims the Range Rover plug-in hybrid can travel up to 31 miles purely on battery power and at speeds of up to 85mph.

After that a 2.0-litre petrol engine cuts in and the Range Rover P400e operates as a hybrid with quite sporty performance.

Recharging the battery can be done in two hours 45 minutes from a fast charger – seven-and-a-half hours from a domestic supply – and there’s many a way of driving this Range Rover to save energy.

It starts up on battery power but that can be saved up by switching to the petrol/hybrid mode until EV work is required.

Leave it to its own devices and it runs as an EV whenever possible to conserve fuel but transforms back to hybrid power seamlessly if necessary.

Drive it off road and there’s another bonus with instant torque available from the electric motor – and on this Range Rover it is rated at 640Nm.

It is a fascinating extension to the Range Rover story and gives the world’s most luxurious 4x4 an extra lease of life as it nears its 50th anniversary.

The plug-in Range Rover is priced from £86,965 in Vogue trim and standard wheelbase and tops out at £105,865 for one in Autobiography specification – and that’s just £165 more than the SDV8 diesel variants.

As such, the PHEV replaces the V6 hybrid model and slots into the Range Rover line up between the diesels and the mighty V8