Best of Both Worlds

Land rover has succumbed to environmental pressure and followed porsche and bentley by fitting its flagship range rover with a plug-in hybrid drivetrain. We take it for a spin.

- Tom Wiltshire

The words ‘RangeRover’ conjure up images of opulent interiors, intimidating looks and go-anywhere ability. But scrape under the skin, and the engine choices have remained stubbornly powerful, polluting and thirsty. Enter the plugin Range Rover hybrid, which gives city-dwellers an alternative to plain old internal combustion. It combines a four-cylinder petrol engine with an electric motor and battery, capable of travelling up to 51 kilometres on battery power alone — perfect for cross-city jaunts. This engine sits near the top of the existing model line-up - undercut by both V6 and V8 diesels plus the V6 petrol, but less expensive than the fire-breathing V8 petrol models. It can count the new Bentley Bentayga hybrid and Porsche Cayenne hybrid as rivals.

For 2018, the Range Rover receives some extra glitz aimed at making it feel even more luxurious. There’s a Velar-inspired grille, new lights front and rear, and the tailpipes have been integrated into the rear bumper. Inside, nearly every button on the centre console has gone, replaced instead by a dual-touchscreen setup. Where buttons remain, they’re seamlessly integrated into one another, and light-up too. Thicker windows and noise-cancelling tech aim to make the car even more eerily silent than before, and there are new seats, too. But, of course, the biggest change is the powertrain...