First Drive: Range Rover PHEV

These days Range Rover has become a sort of icon for the times, more observed from the side of the road than actually ridden in, for few of us know anyone who owns a new Range Rover. Yet this iconoclast has been kept relevant, if not affordable, especially as it targets the new breed of super SUVs from Bentley and Rolls-Royce.

A hybrid Range Rover was launched in 2014, but it was the wrong sort of hybrid, combining a large-capacity, particulate-emitting diesel V6 and electricity. Now it has been superseded by the right sort of hybrid, with a (relatively) small two-litre petrol, four-cylinder engine and an electric motor, and while it's pretty much the same transmission-based hybrid system of the old model, this version has that tax-friendly extra of a big battery, which can be plugged into the mains to give a weedling all-electric range of 31 miles. Though with 80 per cent charge showing on the gauge of the prototype car, we were invited to drive along the Pacific Coast Highway in California, and the estimated range was shown as just 16 miles. EvenFinbar McFall, Global product marketing director, claimed that he'd only seen a total EV range of 28 miles.

"We'll need to coach customers in how to stay within that EV mode," says Lynfel Owen vehicle engineering manager, explaining that the Range Rover P400e has three main modes of operation: parallel hybrid which mixes petrol and electricity power for maximum efficiency; EV which uses pure battery for as long as possible; and Save which stores the battery energy until you want to use it.

The driveline, which goes on sale next March, will also be installed in the Range Rover Sport model. It comprises Land Rover's own 296bhp, four-cylinder turbo petrol unit, which sits longitudinally under the bonnet, together with an eight-speed ZF automatic transmission, with an 85kW AC electric motor and twin multi-plate clutches mounted inside. The Samsung supplied 150kg, 13.1kW lithium-ion battery pack sits under the boot floor (which takes a 100-litre bite out of the luggage room), with the 7kW charger under the front seats on one side of the car and the current inverter on the other side.

As well as the hybrid, the entire 2018 model year Range Rover range gets a revised and stronger aluminium monocoque shell, as well as myriad trim improvements which include wider (and comfier) front seats with new memory foam and adjustment controls now mounted on the doors. The rear seats are wider, too, with a reclining function and a new centre console giving controls for the rear air conditioning. Side windows are now fitted with 6mm insulated glass, there's a optional Meridian audio system, copious USB charge sockets and 4G wifi capability for up to eight devices. In addition, the touch screens have been updated to the standard of the Velar model with, amongst other things, a useful screen that shows the vehicle's angle from the ground when off-road.

Outside there's a load of fiddly trim changes including new bumpers, but the biggest change is the headlamps which are available with four options including Pixel Laser units which extend the range of the lamps as well as masking themselves to prevent dazzling oncoming drivers.

The hybrid version is available from £87,000, but in the top-spec Autobiography trim handed to us, it's an eye-watering £105,795.

You'd have thought given the price, they'd have thrown in a high-current charging cable, but they don't. An only charging cable is a 10-amp unit, which can be plugged into a standard home wall box to give a full recharge in 7.5 hours. On a dedicated 32-amp box or high-current street charger, the battery will recharge in 2hrs 45 mins. UK dealers will also open a Chargemaster account so customers can top up the battery at their Polar network chargers, or at least they will when they've forked out £300 or so for the appropriate charging cable.

With a total system output of 398bhp/472lb ft this 2,509kg vehicle has a claimed top speed of 137mph with 0-62mph acceleration in 6.75 seconds, Combined economy of 101mpg and CO2 emissions of 64g/km. When we still had battery power, and in parallel hybrid mode, the on-test consumption was about 25mpg. Once the battery charge had been exhausted, the average consumption quickly dropped to 17mpg. The fact is, not one of these sorts of PHEV achieves its published fuel consumption (or CO2 emissions) and if you don't charge them up before each journey, you're simply driving a very heavy car with two primary drive motors.

When we did have battery power, however, the driving experience was out of this world. With the suspension in its softest setting cruising up Highway One was a bit like hovering silently into the future. Pulling away, the P400e uses its high-torque motor, which saves the petrol engine, but once on the move it isn't man enough and the engine is required quite a lot of the time, especially if you want to get a move on. For the most part, that's OK, but this four-pot is quite vocal and even the new insulation can't keep its growling grind entirely out of the cabin.

In addition, the clutches, which control the electric motor's contribution, were abrupt in operation and driveline was jerky as a result. A later drive in the Range Rover Sport which is further along its development path showed that this will be mostly cured. Likewise, the brakes, which are a big issue in hybrid vehicles as they have to combine regeneration and friction braking, aren't terrific, with a set of distinct steps in retardation from high speed and a strange coasting that starts at walking pace when the regen braking switches off. Again the Range Rover Sport PHEV was better. Towing weight, incidentally, is 2.5 tonnes.

Speed up and you start to acutely feel this car's weight (it's a quarter of a tonne heavier than the V8 diesel version). Body control is remarkable, just short of amazing in fact, but the 21-inch Continental tyres crack and snap over expansion joints and the rear suspension crashes into potholes. You have to keep your steering and throttle inputs smooth, but you can still make pretty good progress in a Range Rover, especially with the air suspension in dynamic mode.

It's a remarkable thing, Range Rover, with a unique ability to be a luxury car, but also scale mountains. This version has flaws, but it ticks all the boxes of the current tax and allowances-based environmentalism. I'm not entirely convinced you'd actually choose it over a conventional combustion engine. But Land Rover has to offer it and has made a pretty good fist of it.

The Numbers 

Engine: 1,997cc, four-cyl, turbo petrol

Transmission: eight-speed torque converter automatic, four-wheel drive with low ratio transfer box

Bhp/lb ft: Engine 296bhp @ 5,500rpm, 295lb ft @ 1,500rpm

Electric motor 114bhp

Total system output 398bhp/472lb ft

0-62mph: 6.8sec

Top speed: 137mph

Price as tested: £105,865