Test Report by Graham Breeze
Range Rover and Hybrid are two words you would not normally associate in the same breath, particularly when you add the phrase – long wheel base.
But the diesel-electric has started to establish itself with an unprecedented combination of space, superb fuel and emissions performance and the unmistakable luxury
we have come to expect from the brand.
It’s monstrous in size but surprisingly easy to handle with the power supplied by a three litre SDV6 hybrid diesel with an overall output of 345bhp.
The result is combined fuel figures of 44.1mpg and C02 emissions reduced to 169g/km though an eight-speed automatic transmission.
Getting the best from the vehicle is easy because drivers can select from different driving modes to maximise efficiency or performance. And in electric-only mode you
can travel at of up to 30mph for one mile.
The model looks massive and it really is with an extra 186mm of room inside - the huge boot suiting both leisure and business users perfectly.
The Range Rover Hybrid is not a plug-in but an old-style hybrid combining a battery and electric motor with the transmission but this time it comes with a three-litre V6
engine.
The model on test came with top of the range Autobiography spec with a sliding panoramic roof and 22” diamond turned wheels and with a few extras such as Xenon
headlamps, full size spare wheel, audio system, active rear locking diff, traffic sign definition and lane departure warning, wade sensing, park assist and rear seat
entertainment.
Inside there’s the usual luxurious package that you would expect from Range Rover with the most comfortable seating on the market and more than enough room for five
passengers to sit in style. Massive rear doors mean getting in and out is a piece of cake.
But all that comes at a cost and you’ll need to part with £107,950 to put this beauty on your drive.
It’s been an amazing 45 years since Range Rover arrived to deliver industry leading first after first, with the car evolving into the SUV we know today.
As well as introducing a host of advanced technologies, many of which have since become industry standards, the original Classic model was cited as an ‘exemplary
work of industrial design’ when it became the first vehicle to be displayed at the world famous Louvre museum in Paris.
Now in its fourth generation, the Range Rover sits at the pinnacle of the Land Rover brand and although the opposition is mounting from the likes of Audi, and now Volvo,
you just get the impression that JL will up the game whenever they need to.
The current fourth generation model was launched in 2012 and was the first SUV in the world to feature a lightweight all-aluminium body, which brought enhanced
efficiency to the range.
Back in 1970 no-one could ever have envisaged seeing a Range Rover running on batteries. Who knows what the future holds now?
