2019 Land Rover Range Rover Sport PHEV is set for production

Just like Volvo, Land Rover has announced their intention to electrify the lot of their lineup in 2020. The British SUV marque is turning that intention a reality with the news of a new plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV) — the 2019 Range Rover Sport PHEV.

The 2019 Range Rover Sport PHEV is the first-ever PHEV from Land Rover, and will be based off the refreshed Range Rover Sport that’s slotted to come out by early 2018 in the US market. The PHEV SUV will be launched by the 2nd half of 2018.

Badged as P400e, the 2019 Ranger Rover Sport PHEV is powered by 296-hp 4-cylinder Ingenium gasoline engine and a 85kW (114-hp) electric motor. With these 2 power sources combined, it can produce a whopping 640 Nm of torque. That’s a lot of pull, really. These figures are then transferred to all 4 wheels via a ZF 8-speed automatic transmission.

The 2 power sources can work either hand-in-hand or in pure electric, which you can choose through 2 different drive modes: Parallel Hybrid and EV. The system is intelligently-designed to switch between these 2 driving modes depending on the road conditions to maximize fuel efficiency.

The PHEV SUV can run up to 137 km/h in full EV mode, however, it can only reach 51 km. That’s a bit short but it’s hybrid anyway, so you're better off using the vehicle in parallel mode most of the time. Charging can be done overnight using a conventional power socket connected to a discreet plug behind the front grille.

Design-wise, the Range Rover Sport PHEV looks a lot like the Velar — the newest member of the Land Rover SUV lineup, well, except for its size. The LED-outlined lamp configuration and intricately-designed grille hit the spot, bearing the British marque’s signature classy and beefy aura. At the rear, it’s more upright than the Velar and drops the wide taillight configuration of the smaller SUV.

Inside, the 2019 Range Rover Sport PHEV is nothing short of luxury, which you should expect in a Land Rover. Semi-Aniline leather seats, power sunroof, ambient lighting — all of these are present in the new SUV. What caught our attention is its Nanoe ionization system that purifies the air without the need for an external device.

Another highlight of the Range Rover Sport PHEV is its 10-inch touchscreen LCD that can multitask like a tablet. It also houses the car’s climate control and other functions, minimizing the clutter across the dashboard. The entertainment extends to the rear with its own 10-inch display LCDs.

Aside from its all-terrain capability, the Range Rover Sport PHEV has standard driver-assist technologies, which you can level up with upgrade packs. The added options include High Speed Emergency Braking, 360-degree Parking Aid, Driver Condition Monitor, and Adaptive Cruise Control with Queue Assist.