Range Rover is preparing to launch its first electric SUV. Preview of the prototype from the publication Autocar gives the first idea of what to expect from the upcoming new model. Despite the new powertrain, the car retains the familiar design, comfort and reputation of an all-terrain vehicle. However, there are a few things worth paying attention to.
Since the launch of its first vehicle 55 years ago, the brand Range Rover has become an iconic symbol of off-road capabilities, elegant design and luxurious interiors. The electric car will inherit all of this and at the same time receive «improvements».
The Range Rover electric SUV is based on the MLA platform and is equipped with JLR’s new proprietary powertrain. The twin-engine setup provides a total output of 542 hp and 850 Nm of torque. The energy for the engines is stored in a 118 kWh battery, which should provide up to 480 km of real-world driving range. During the prototype test, the Autocar journalist used about half of the battery charge, and after that, the remaining range was about 260 km.
Although the figures look encouraging in the laboratory, they are likely to be less so in the real world. JLR engineers admit that due to the not-so-great body aerodynamics, the range on the highway may be lower. But the 800-volt electrical architecture allows the battery to be charged very quickly. No details yet.
The interior is almost the same as the current Range Rover SUV. There are familiar digital panels and physical buttons. The only thing that the reviewer thinks is that the climate control unit could be larger — in accordance with the status of the electric flagship model. At the same time, JLR’s new ThermAssist system is about 40% more efficient than the Jaguar I-Pace — the company’s first fully electric car.
Test runs with the electric version of the Range Rover were limited to 32 km/h. Therefore, it is not yet known how the car will behave in real-world conditions on and off the road. However, even during such a limited drive, Autocar test manager Matt Sanders got the impression that the «Range Rover Electric can easily climb, descend, go around everything on its own and inspire incredible confidence in its capabilities» while driving through the forest.
The first electric Range Rover will be offered with a standard and long wheelbase. The latter promises space in the second row, which can be compared to Bentley or Rolls-Royce in terms of comfort. The maximum trailer weight that an electric vehicle can tow is more than 2.5 tons. Although this is less than the 3.5-ton towing capacity of the current Range Rover, it is still on par with other luxury SUVs such as the Mercedes G-Class.
The Range Rover electric SUV is expected to hit the market this year. Its price has not yet been disclosed, but JLR hints at the level of the current V8 Autobiography version, which costs about $200 thousand. Despite the lack of final specifications and the official start of sales, demand is already considerable. More than 61 thousand people have been added to the waiting list.
Source: electrek
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