Following the announcement of a Range Rover Sport plug-in hybrid, Land Rover will launch a plug-in hybrid version of its flagship Range Rover for the 2019 model year. The new models are part of a push by Land Rover and sibling brand Jaguar to put hybrid or all-electric powertrains in every vehicle they sell by the end of the decade.
The 2019 Land Rover Range Rover P400e features essentially the same powertrain as the smaller Range Rover Sport P400e SUV. A 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder gasoline engine produces 296 horsepower, while an electric motor is rated at 114 hp. Because the gasoline engine and electric motor deliver peak power at different times, total system output can’t be calculated by just adding the two figures together. But Land Rover says the P400e is good for 398 hp and 472 pound-feet of torque.
That’s enough to get short-wheelbase versions of the Range Rover P400e from 0 to 60 mph in 6.4 seconds, and on to a top speed of 137 mph, according to Land Rover. Performance of the heavier long-wheelbase version will be slightly blunted. A 13.1-kilowatt-hour lithium-ion battery pack can keep the Range Rover driving on electric power for up to 31 miles, Land Rover claims.
The P400e won’t arrive until the 2019 model year, but Land Rover has other updates planned for the rest of the Range Rover lineup for 2018. Changes were made to the grille and headlights, although it’s hard to spot the difference. On the inside, the 2018 Range Rover is now available with 24-way adjustable massaging front seats, and a new cabin filtration system.
On the tech front, the 2018 Range Rover gets a new InControl Touch Pro Duo infotainment system, which uses two 10.0-inch touchscreens, as well as a gesture-controlled sun blind. Instead of using a conventional key fob, drivers can lock and unlock a 2018 Range Rover using the Activity Key wristband previously seen on other Jaguar Land Rover models. The wristband is supposed to be more weatherproof than a key fob, allowing its user to engage in outdoor activities without having to worry about getting locked out of the car.
Until the plug-in hybrid arrives for 2019, changes to the powertrain lineup will be minimal. For 2018, the SVAutobiography Dynamic model’s 5.0-liter supercharged V8 gets a 5-hp boost, to 557 hp. Other available engines include a 3.0-liter supercharged V6 with 340 hp or 380 hp, a 3.0-liter turbodiesel V6 with 254 hp, and a less-powerful version of the 5.0-liter V8, good for 518 hp.
