Land Rover has revealed new hybrid versions of the Range Rover and the Range Rover Sport.
The new models are the first ever hybrid cars produced by Land Rover and promise to deliver improved fuel economy and lower CO2 emissions than the petrol and diesel models in the range.
Both the Range Rover Hybrid and the Range Rover Sport Hybrid will be fitted with Land Rover's familiar 3.0-litre TDV6 diesel engine coupled to an electric motor which produces 47bhp and 125lb-ft of torque.
This means that 0-62mph takes 6.9 seconds in the standard Rangey and top speed is 135mph. The Sport model promises to be even quicker, hitting 62mph in 6.7 seconds and topping out at 140mph.
The hybrid drive system, including the lithium ion battery, adds 120kg to the weight of the Range Rover; however, this is much less than the 420kg Land Rover managed to shave off by switching to an aluminium chassis with the new model. The batteries are also mounted below the floor which not only keeps the centre of gravity low, improving handling, but also means that interior space has not been compromised. In fact, the hybrid Rangey is just as spacious as its conventionally-fuelled stablemates.
The big advantage of fitting hybrid technology to a big car like the Range Rover is, of course, improved fuel economy. Both hybrid models will return 44.1mpg on the combined cycle and emit169g/km of CO2. By contrast, the current most frugal model in the Range Rover line-up, the TDV6, will manage just 37.7mpg and emits 196g/km of CO2.
Three different driving modes are available in the Hybrid, one of which allows the car to run on electricity only for a distance of one mile at speeds of up to 30mph. The Range Rover also uses regenerative braking technology to top up the batteries.
The Range Rover Hybrid and the Range Rover Sport Hybrid will make their debut at the Frankfurt Motor Show on 10 September on the same day that order books are opened. The first customer deliveries are expected to arrive in January 2014 but there is no word yet on prices.
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