With the introduction of the Range Rover Hybrid, Land Rover has produced the world’s first premium diesel SUV hybrid model. It looks amazing, is eerily silent and oozes class.

The good

Excellent economy without compromising performance

The bad

Price-tag. Ouch!

Tech Specs

Price from

£98,430

Combined Fuel up to

44.1mpg

0-62 from

6.5 seconds

max speed up to

135mph

co2 from

169g/km

Test Drive

Range Rover Hybrid 3.0 SDV6 Autobiography

There’s no denying the fact – Land Rover is a company that is going places. It really seems to have the Midas touch at the moment.

Demand for the Evoque is still incredibly high and the successful launches of the all-new Range Rover and Range Rover Sport models has seen the expansion of production facilities and the creation of hundreds of jobs.

Now, the new addition to the family is the Range Rover Hybrid – the world’s first premium diesel SUV hybrid model.

The Range Rover Hybrid is powered by 3.0-litre SDV6 HEV engine mated to a 35kW electric motor. This delivers a 0-60mph sprint time of just 6.5 seconds, which is pretty fast for a vehicle of its size.

The hybrid boasts outstanding performance with 340PS and a class-leading 700Nm of torque, which is superior to the 4.2-litre V8 engine. It also features an eight-speed automatic gearbox.

Land Rover put the model to the test in conditions ranging from -30 to +40 degrees to make certain the world’s first all-terrain hybrid maintained the company’s rich and demanding off-road capabilities.

And it came through every test with flying colours.

Many hybrids have to compromise on space in order to house the battery pack, but that’s not the case with the Range Rover as the liquid-cooled battery is positioned underneath the car and is fully protected by a boron steel undershield, which can survive the battering demanding off-road ventures may bring.

A liquid cooled battery was selected because it is much quieter than air cooled equivalents and Range Rover owners expect that type of perfection.

The hybrid model also features regenerative braking along with stop/start technology to help improve efficiency.

The model looks identical to the beautifully crafted Range Rover apart from some distinctive hybrid badging.

The interior of the top-of-the-range Autobiography model was pure quality throughout and featured the very finest materials and leathers in a beautiful cherry and ivory colour scheme.

A sliding panoramic roof allowed the light to flood into the spacious cabin and there is an abundance of luxurious features to be explored.

But it’s the pulling away in complete silence that confirms you are in a completely new model.

The Range Rover Hybrid can be driven for up to a mile in pure electric mode and full hybrid driving is achieved when the motor boosts the engine – this is when the car is at its most efficient.

The driver can choose from three selectable drive modes: EV is for electric driving only, Sport introduces an enhanced sporting character to the car with sharper acceleration and Command Shift mode which increases the driving dynamics even further.

The handling is beautifully smooth and you really feel like the king of the castle in the high-seated driving position. And then, as and when it’s needed, the diesel engine cuts in automatically.

In fact, all the technology almost goes unnoticed – the car is simply much more efficient with all the same capabilities. Carbon emissions are just 169g/km for the vehicle and fuel efficiency is also superior at a combined figure of 44.1mpg.

Admittedly, it’s not cheap – the test car came with a hefty £98,430 price-tag – but in all honesty, this is a premium quality car that will have plenty of appeal in the premium marketplace.

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