The highlight of a refreshed Range Rover Sport line-up, the new P400e, is a Range Rover like no other since the first in 1970. The company’s first plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV), it arrives ahead of JLR’s pledge to have electrified versions of every model in the showrooms by 2020.
As a plug-in, it is in marked contrast to the existing hybrid in the range – a diesel with an electric motor that gets its power from regenerative braking. With four-cylinder petrol power and the ability to run in silent electric mode, the new P400e is far more representative of JLR’s electrified future.
So how does it work?
The P400e combines a 2.0-litre Ingenium petrol engine with an electric motor fed by enough lithium-ion power for it to travel up to 31 miles on electric power alone, at speeds up to 85mph.
Electric-only running, selectable by the driver, is said to be just as relevant off-road. With no ‘creep’ but lots (472lb ft) of torque from zero revs, Land Rover says the plug-in Sport offers improved low-speed control and pull-away on low-grip surfaces.
The low-range transmission and Hill Descent Control all work as normal in EV mode for when the going gets really tough. You can still wade through water 850mm deep – although Land Rover recommends you start the petrol engine to keep water from going up the exhaust pipe.