MOTORS Range Rover’s new PHEV

A Plug-In hybrid option for the New Range Rover

It’s definitely not an inexpensive car, so can you make a sound case for choosing a frugal plug-in hybrid drivetrain in your new Range Rover? Well actually, it’s probably the best fit for the Range Rover yet...

THE RANGE ROVER remains über desirable. It’s the epitome of luxury, it provides acres of passenger and luggage space, and it’s fitted with every conceivable creature comfort, especially in top spec. But with the Evoque, Velar, and brand new Sport models in Range Rover’s lineup, the ‘proper’ Range Rover’s prices have been nudged up and up. An all-new Range Rover released in October last year saw the price tag begin at a sniff under six figures, but realistically you’re looking at anywhere up to £150,000 for a new version, especially if you opt for a longer wheelbase, a new seven-seat configuration or one of the more powerful engines. So if the car is the antithesis of frugal motoring, can it really justify a plug-in hybrid powertrain, aimed lets face it, at reducing fuel costs? Actually... yes. In fact this new powertrain is probably the best one the car has ever had. For a start, global oil and gas supplies are strained, so having a choice of both electrical and combustion power gives more flexibility and security. Secondly, the car starts up in silence and moves off just as quietly and smoothly. It provides a refinement that befits the car’s imperious character, eliminating diesel clatter or roar from the driving experience. The powertrain also makes it slightly more viable to run the car as a company vehicle, with the tax savings of a plug-in hybrid. In addition, the new Range Rover was designed from the ground up for full electrification – this will happen in 2024 –but some motorists are still wary of full-electric vehicles, so a plug-in hybrid version gives a little more reassurance for nervous motorists or those who still rack up many long-distance motorway miles. Penultimately, with a (very optimistic) electric range of 70 miles, you’ll make the most of electrification for day-to-day running about. And finally, if you’re one of the few Range Rover owners who actually venture off-road, the powertrain provides lots of torque with no lag and no need to work the engine hard. The best news? It’s remains very much a Range Rover; spacious, luxurious, imperious,and very, very desirable. n

THE DETAILS Range Rover Plug-In Hybrid

Price: £108,385 (SE P440e). Powertrains: 3.0V6 PHEV, 440hp, eight-speed automatic gearbox, full-time 4x4 with switchable low range gearing. Performance: Top speed 140mph, 0-60mph 5.7secs. Electric range 70 miles; WLTM 334mpg. Equipment: 20-way electric seats, heated front/rear, power tailgate, 3D surround camera, adaptive cruise, heated front screen/steering wheel, 13” screen with navigation, remote climate control for cabin warming. n 111

Ferrari’s Purosangue

Ferrari has released a new vehicle which the company emphatically denies is just another SUV, despite its four seats and four-wheel drive. Purosangue is, however, a prancing horse unlike no other...

THOROUGHBRED. The name Purosangue translates to ‘thoroughbred.’ And though the motoring marque with its famous ‘prancing horse’ brand has designed four-seater cars before – the GT4C and FF – this is its first SUV. Not that it admits it. The company rejects the label of SUV, but with a similar appearance to Porsche’s Cayenne Coupé Turbo GT (£150,500) or Aston Martin’s DBX (£162,625), that’s what it amounts to, with four seats, four doors, four wheel drive and four wheel steering. In fact, the number four seems a common denominator until you get to the engine... where in fact, 12 cylinders still reside, spread across 6.5 litres of displacement and 715bhp, launching it to 60mph in just 3.3 seconds and on to 192mph. A higher number still is the Purosangue’s list price: £350,000. For that price, you could instead buy a Range Rover SE (£99,375) and a Porsche 911 (£89,800) then pocket the remaining £161,000. Or, what about choosing a Porsche Cayenne Turbo GT with £200,000 left over? The Porsche Cayenne, incidentally, matches the Ferrari’s 0-60mph time, right on the button. The debate is perhaps academic. After all, the Purosangue (or any of the above vehicles) are cars you choose with your heart – at least to some degree. If you want one, you’ll buy one, regardless of ‘value.’ Even so, we’re struggling to see where the extra money gets you with rivals that are just as desirable, as spacious, as luxurious. As pretty as Purosangue is, at this price, we reckon it’s an example of style over substance. n

Ferrari Purosangue

Price: £350,000 (est). Powertrain: 6.5 litre V12, 715bhp, 716Nm torque, eight-speed F1 DCT gearbox, all-wheel drive, all-wheel steer. Performance: Top speed 192mph, 0-60mph 3.3secs. n