The Range Rover Sport has always been the more athletic member of the Range Rover, and indeed, Land Rover family. Now it is being offered with a fully-electric powertrain in a product called Range Rover Sport Electric. The brief was basically this: keep the muscular presence, the refinement and the all-terrain ability, but make it feel more urgent and more involving behind the wheel.
Two 260kW motors deliver up to 404kW of power, and 850Nm, which is the highest torque figure any production Range Rover Sport has ever offered. In Dynamic Launch Mode it matches the old V8’s 0 – 100km/h sprint time of 4.3 seconds. Impressive, considering the Electric has almost 370kg on the 4.4-litre V8 Sport, due to the battery pack. Said 118.5kWh battery supports a claimed WLTP range of up to 609km, with a real-world figure closer to what I believe would be around 480km. Still, not bad.
The chassis work is where the engineers have focused most of their attention in order to curb the penalties brought on by weight. The body structure is 61% stiffer than the plug-in Hybrid version and the centre of gravity sits 73mm lower. Electronic Active Roll Control can apply up to 1 400Nm of force across each axle, while Twin Valve Dampers and Adaptive Dynamics constantly monitor body movement. All-wheel steering apparently helps in tighter spaces. Range Rover says the result feels smaller and more planted than the size suggests, without giving up the long-distance comfort the brand is known for.
To prove the point, the development team took the car through the Carrara marble quarries in Italy, climbing 45-degree gradients on polished rock and fine dust. And as a Land Rover, it also wades through 900mm of water, the same depth as its combustion siblings. The car will be built in Solihull in the UK on the same lines as the petrol, diesel and Hybrid models, and is available to order now in Dynamic SE, Dynamic HSE, Autobiography and First Edition trim.
Range Rover Electric Prices
Dynamic SE – R3 291 100
Dynamic HSE – n/a
Autobiography – n/a
First Edition – R3 609 200
