Range Rover Sport
A 70-mile electric range means this luxurious SUV can be surprisingly cheap to run On sale Now Price from £84,530
IF YOU’RE ON the lookout for a new accountant and a candidate arrives for their interview in a Range Rover Sport P440e, you should give them the job, because choosing one of these means they really understand how tax works.
You see, while most big plug-in hybrid SUVS bring their owners an 8% benefit-in-kind (BIK) tax bill or higher, the Sport P440e sneaks into the 5% bracket. Tax-wise, that makes it the next best thing to running a pure electric car (those are taxed at 2%), without ever having to worry about where you’ll get your next charge.
It all comes down to the battery. The P440e’s is huge, at 38.2kwh (usable), and that endows it with an official range of up to 70 miles on electricity alone. That means low (19g/km) official CO2 emissions, explaining why it’s so tax-effective. It also brings the potential for really impressive fuel economy, because many people will be able to tackle even a hefty daily commute without using any petrol at all.
That’s not to say there’s nothing to be gained from waking up the petrol engine; indeed, with 434bhp on the table when petrol and electric power join forces, it would be rude not to. And while the rival Porsche Cayenne E-hybrid is more nimble, the Sport is still great to drive. Plus, it rides better than the Cayenne, smothering the worst craters British roads can offer while keeping things on an even keel.
While it’s loping along quietly, passengers can enjoy a finely crafted interior that borrows much from the full-size Range Rover and apes that car’s generous interior space.
A wise choice, then. The ‘e’ in P440e might as well stand for ‘expert’.
Our pick P440e Dynamic SE
List price £87,530 Target Price £87,530
Target PCP £933 MPG 338.3 CO2 18g/km
For Cosseting and quiet; great driving position; huge electric range; low company car tax Against Some rivals are sharper to drive; Land Rover’s reliability record is poor
WHAT CAR? SAYS