Land Rover to launch plug-in hybrid Range Rover by end-2017
The shift towards electrification marks a new era in Land Rover’s car making tenure.
Land Rover is reportedly close to unveiling its first plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV) Range Rover model. CEO Ralf Speth has reportedly confirmed that the Range Rover PHEV trim is almost ready, and will be launched by the end of this year itself. With this confirmation, the Range Rover PHEV is now expected to be unveiled globally, very soon.
With every major car maker moving towards electrifying their entire car portfolios, Land Rover’s plan has begun with introducing electric drive units in its Range Rover and Range Rover Sport models. The electric unit is expected to be combined with the present, 2-litre Ingenium petrol engine in the aforementioned models. While the petrol engine will provide power-torque figures of 299bhp and 399Nm, the electric drivetrain will provide 203bhp and 450Nm of torque. Alongside the hybrid powertrain, the Range Rover PHEV will also have 50 kilometres of electric-only driving range.
The new Range Rover PHEV will not only cut down on emission ratings of the diesel-powered compatriots, but also produce significantly high power to ensure that performance is not compromised. This will make the Range Rover PHEV a one-of-a-kind offering, seeing that most other companies are yet to roll out their electric/hybrid mainstream vehicles.
It is not yet clear if Land Rover will bring the Range Rover PHEV models to India. Chances are that these trims will not be brought to India right away, as the charging network to support such vehicles efficiently is not yet in place in India. However, with the government pushing for electrification of its fleet and mainstream vehicles, the Range Rover PHEVs should eventually come to India.