All-new mild-hybrid diesel heart transplanted into Range Rover and Range Rover Sport

First mentioned back in March, Jaguar-Land Rover (JLR) has officially bid farewell to the Ford era 3.0 SDV6 and 4.4 TDV8 engines used in the Range Rover and Range Rover Sport.

In the latest technical revision, likely to be one of the last with all-new models due next year in 2022, the Blue Oval derived V6 and V8 makes way for a 48-volt mild-hybrid Ingenium 3.0-litre straight-six in two states of tune; 221kW/650Nm in the D300 and 257kW/700Nm in the D350. Rated at 8.6 L/100 km and 9.2 L/100 km, the straight-six is claimed to be “smoother, more refined and more efficient” than the engines it replaces. Although offered on the Range Rover, the Sport also gets a smaller option, the D250 that punches out 183kW/600Nm.

The inclusion of the straight-six leaves the 5.0 supercharged V8 as the sole Ford-based engine in the line-up, although it too will be replaced by the 4.4-litre twin-turbo V8 from BMW when the Bridgend Engine Plant in Wales closes at the end of this year. Outputs are kept as is at 386kW/625Nm in the P525 and 415kW/700Nm in the P565.

Elsewhere, the rest of the powerunits remain unaffected and consists of the 294kW/550Nm 3.0-litre straight-six turbo-petrol in the P400 and the 2.0-litre plug-in hybrid turbo in the P400e that delivers a combined 297kW/640Nm. Reserved for the Sport is the P300, whose non-electrically assisted 2.0-litre petrol pumps out 221kW/400Nm, and the 423kW/700Nm supercharged V8 used in the SVR.

Aside from the reshuffled engines, both models benefit from the addition of a number of special editions and upgraded features, the latter in the Sport consisting of Apple CarPlay and Android Auto across the range, the new PM2.5 filtration system for the climate control and 4G Wi-Fi connection for up to eight devices across the range.

On the model front, the mentioned limited editions kicks-off with the HSE Silver which gets 21-inch gloss black diamond-turned alloy wheels, a Shadow Atlas exterior colour, a fixed panoramic roof, privacy glass, cooled centre compartment and the otherwise optional Meridian Surround Sound System. Offered only on the D300 and P400e, it does come with a choice of seven other colours, including two new hues; Hakuba Silver and Lantau Bronze.

Also based on an existing model is the HSE Dynamic Black, also in D300 or P400e guises. Equipped with the Black Pack and in two colours; Carpathian Grey and Santorini Black with a contrasting roof, the former rides on 22-inch gloss black alloy wheels and the latter on 21-inch alloys, however, both get privacy glass, an all-black interior, the panoramic roof, Ebony headliner and the Meridian sound system.

Capping the range off is the SVR Carbon Edition which features 22-inch gloss black alloys and, as its name points out, carbon fibre detailing on the bonnet, front and rear bumper and side vents. A carbon fibre engine cover rounds the changes off.

While its gets the same technology upgrades as the Sport, the full-size Range Rover comes with three unique models of its own that follows the Fifty Edition introduced last month.

This kicks-off with the Vogue-based Westminster powered by the D350 and P400e engines, which comes equipped with 21-inch diamond-turned alloy wheels, soft-close doors, Grand Black interior veneers, a suede-cloth headliner and a 19-speaker Meridian sound system in the P400e.

Upping the ante is the Westminster Black that mainly adds the Black Exterior Pack with gloss black 21-inch or 22-inch alloy wheels, while the SVAutobiography Dynamic Black rounds the line-up off in that it rides on 22-inch gloss black alloys, comes with branded treadplates, Ebony seats with Pimento stitching, black brake calipers and Narvik Black gloss exterior detailing combined with a Santorini Black Metallic paint finish.

In the UK, pricing for the revised Sport kicks-off at £65 295 (R1 368 663) and from £83 465 (R1 749 529) for the Range Rover. JLR South Africa has meanwhile confirmed that both the Westminster and Westminster Black will be coming to market towards the end of this year, but that availability of the new mild-hybrid diesel remains to be confirmed.

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