Plug in and splash out
NeVer mix electricity and water, we are warned from an early age. the effect can be shocking — and fatal. But that doesn’t hold for range rover’s new petrol-electric hybrid which i had fun putting through its paces this week, on and off-road, and across a lake. the car is helping the British luxury 4X4 brand shed the ‘gas-guzzler’ slur which environmentalists have thrown at it for years. What’s more, this beautifully appointed range rover P400e plug-in hybrid has a decidedly green tinge.
i drove it around the Cotswolds and to Churchill’s former home, Blenheim Palace in oxfordshire.
the new range rover hybrid combines a frugal 2.0-litre 4-cylinder ingenium petrol engine (300hP) with an 85kW electric motor, linked to a smooth 8-speed automatic gearbox. together they generate a total of 404bhp which is equivalent to about four Ford Fiestas.
you can plug it in and charge it up at home (two hours and 45 minutes on the fast charger, or about 7.5 hours on a domestic plug), and it will drive for up to 31 miles in electric-power mode only at speeds of up to 85mph, after which point the petrol engine kicks in.
But it’s such a smooth operator and the switch from petrol to electric is seamless. the combination of petrol and electric power means an average fuel efficiency of 101 mpg.
i took it off-road in super- slippery conditions and it’s a remarkable performer for such a posh 4X4. it’s not infallible, however, and even i came unstuck at one slimy stretch where it slid like a bear on ice.
it’ll wade through up to 3ft of water, though you do need to fire up the engine to provide backpressure to avoid water being sucked inside the exhaust.
Land rover reckons this is ‘the ultimate in silent luxury’. But engineers working with the Guide Dogs For the Blind association have created a synthesised sound to alert pedestrians.
it accelerates from rest to 60mph in just 6.4 seconds with a top speed of 137mph. inside, luxurious touches include heated and cooled massage front seats and a 10in infotainment system for rear passengers.
there is a catch, however. this car is not cheap. Prices for the range rover plug-in hybrid start from £86,965 in Vogue trim level, up to £93,465 for the Vogue se and £105,865 for the autobiography.