The latest release from Land Rover is a bit unusual. Why? Because it is a hybrid SUV. This is the first time the manufacturer ventured themselves in such a project. Recently, the giant automobile maker revealed the first image of the SUV and its specifications.
Named the Range Rover Phev, it is completely the same as the other flagship models of the brand except for three things. It has a charging port in the front grille, it has reduced boot space and it is completely silent if you use only the electric battery.
A bit of information about the vehicle first. The Range Rover Phev is powered by a 2.0L turbo petrol engine with a 102 hp electric motor (below the floorboard in the boot). Together, they crank 404 hp and 295 lb-ft of torque, which is lesser than the non-hybrid versions. It will do 0 to 62 mph in 6.4s and it will reach a top speed of 137 mph (220 km/h). It can run upto 30 miles only on the battery.
The Range Rover has a starting price of $95,150. Well, we can easily cross the $100K mark in speccing the car. But the real reason is if the SUV is really worth that amount of money.
People living in town and large cities are most probably gonna be the buyers for the hybrid version as they want the luxury as well as something that is a bit economical. The Phev will be seen roaming around busy roads in peak hours most of the time. The one who will be taking it off-road will be buying the normal version, according to me.
Is it worth the money or not, that completely depends on you. How you are seeing the worthiness of a car and other factors. Yes, I know Range Rover are not so reliable and their parts are very expensive but who cares when you are buying a brand new SUV with warranty.
How reliable the hybrid system will be, we cannot say right now. Also, there are quite some people that faced problems with the two screens in the centre console. The decrease in power needs to be taken into consideration also as well as the depreciation. On an overall, it is still a Range Rover. And yeah if you are wondering, yes it can still handle off-road like a boss.
There are two other Phev models coming along the way, one being the Sport and the other is quite strange, it is apparently called the Land Rover Plug-In Hybrid. Both has a starting price of $78,300, which is way lesser than the Autobiography model (refers to as P400e for the hybrid version).
Also, you can get a better specced SUV for the base price of the Phev but if you are a fan of Range Rover and you want to save some bucks on fuel, then the Phev is for you.
Also, if you want to read the full review of the Range Rover Phev and see its full specifications, price, new features and how it’s like to drive, then click here.
Car Gang 