Land Rover grants more electric shock and tech to Range Rover

With less than two years having passed since debuting the new Range Rover, Land Rover has introduced a number of changes, the most noteworthy being a pair of new hybrid models.

More choice at SV Bespoke

Taking primary stage though is Solihull’s in-house customisation SV Bespoke division that offers a more extensive and expanded range of unique finishes ranging from exterior colours and wheels to interior materials, hues and veneers.

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According to Land Rover, no less than 230 colour types from metallic to satin and sheen can be selected, which includes a new 24 carat gold Range Rover scripting on the bonnet and tailgate option.

New infotainment, more tech

The new colours and detailing hasn’t resulted in the Range Rover’s exterior being otherwise changed, although inside, the Pivi Pro infotainment system grows from 11.4-inches to 13.1-inches in addition to receiving Jaguar-Land Rover’s latest over-the-air updated software, improved haptic control feedback and new slide controls for the climate control and audio system volume control.

On the safety and driver assistance systems front, a new feature called Country Road Assist has been added. As its name points out, the satellite navigation scans the area for tight corners and varying changes in the speed limit common of country roads.

Once selected, the system also adjusts the Adaptive Cruise Control to provide “effortless accelerating or deceleration” when out in the country.

The final “underneath-the-skin” change is the inclusion of the electrified Dynamic Response Air Suspension that debuted on the Range Rover Sport last year.

Expanded electrified powerunits

As mentioned, and in-line with Jaguar-Land Rover’s move towards full electrification before 2030, the existing plug-in hybrid P440e and P510e models have been dropped in favour of the new P460e and P550e.

In the case of the former, the combination of the turbocharged 3.0-litre straight-six Ingenium petrol engine and a 38.2-kWh lithium-ion battery pack remains unchanged, albeit with the inclusion of a new 160 kW electric motor as opposed to the previous 105 kW unit.

The result is a combined output of 338 kW, 15 kW more than the P440e, and an all-electric range of 121 km versus 113 km. As before, the only available transmission is the ZF-sourced eight-speed automatic.

At the range’s sharp-end is the P550e, which despite its plug-in hybrid denominator combines the BMW-sourced 4.4-litre twin-turbo V8 with a 48-volt mild-hybrid system instead of an electric motor and battery.

The end result is combined output of 452kW/750Nm, the most of any production Range Rover ever made.

As a side, no mechanical alterations have been made to any of the turbodiesel models, or indeed any of the lower specification petrol derivatives.

Confirmation soon

For now, Jaguar-Land Rover has remained quiet as to when the revised Range Rover will come to South Africa, although expectations are that a final quarter debut might well be on the cards.

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