Jaguar Land Rover is hitting the electric theme hard this month, as it recently introduced the Range Rover and Range Rover Sport plug-in hybrid models in South Africa.
This follows shortly after the launch of the highly-anticipated all-electric Jaguar I-Pace.
Both models carry the P400e badge, which references the power output of 404PS, or 297kW. That impressive power output is the combination of a 221kW 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbocharged petrol engine and a 85kW electric motor. Combined, both engines produce 640Nm of torque.
The engine is longitudinally mounted, with the electric motor housed within the ZF automatic eight-speed transmission at the centre of the vehicle, alongside a 7kW on-board charger. The access point for the charging cable is hidden at the front behind the grille badge of each vehicle. The prismatic cell lithium-ion batteries are mounted at the rear beneath the boot floor.
There are two driving modes to choose from.
The first is Parallel Hybrid Model, which combines petrol and electric power.
The driver can optimise battery charge or fuel economy by utilising one of two charge management functions:
SAVE function – prevents the battery charge dropping below a pre-selected level.
Predictive Energy Optimisation (PEO) function – entering a destination in the navigation system enables the feature, which utilises built-in GPS altitude data for the selected route, to intelligently combine the electric motor and petrol engine to maximise fuel economy.
EV mode (Electric Vehicle) – enables the vehicle to run solely on the electric motor for up to 51km using the energy stored in the battery, the ideal solution for quiet, zero emission journeys.
With a rapid charging system, the batteries can be recharged to full in two hours and 45 minutes. With a normal plug, a full charge takes around 7 hours and 30 minutes.
Land Rover claims the Range Rover P400e emits only 64g/km on the NEDC combined cycle and can accelerate from 0-100km/h in 6.8 seconds and on to a maximum speed of 220km/h.
The Range Rover P400e is available in both standard and long wheelbase body styles and has been enhanced with further technologies for greater comfort and convenience.
The Range Rover Sport PHEV also emits only 64g/km on the NEDC combined cycle and achieves a top speed of 220km/h, but accelerates from 0-100km/h in a slightly quicker 6.7 seconds.
The Range Rover and Range Rover Sport PHEVs are available in South Africa priced from R2,207,300 and R1,639,300 respectively.