Land Rover is launching its first-ever hybrid models – the Range Rover Hybrid and Range Rover Sport Hybrid. Order books will open from September 10 with first deliveries in early 2014.

“We are excited to introduce the Range Rover and Range Rover Sport Hybrids, the world’s first hybrid SUVs with legendary Land Rover capability. The addition of a smooth electric drive enhances refinement, cuts CO 2 emissions and delivers staggering performance on a par with our SDV8 engine,” said John Edwards, Land Rover Global Brand Director.

The new Range Rover Hybrid powertrain features three driver-selectable modes and combines Land Rover’s popular 3-litre SDV6 diesel engine with a 35 kW electric motor integrated with the 8-speed ZF automatic transmission. The hybrid system, including lithium-ion battery pack, inverter and electric motor weights less than 120 kg.

The electric motor produces 170 Nm torque to boost acceleration and drives the vehicle in EV Mode. The motor also acts as a generator, harvesting kinetic energy through regenerative braking, charging the battery when the vehicle is slowing. In driver-selectable EV mode the Range Rover Hybrid can travel at speeds of up to 30 mph (48 km/h) for a range of up to one mile (1.6km) before the diesel engine seamlessly restarts.

Together, output of the diesel engine and electric motor is 340 PS at 4,000 rpm and a class-leading 700 Nm torque between 1,500-3,000 rpm, resulting in stunning SDV8-style performance. Both models accelerate to 62 mph (100 km/h) under seven seconds, deliver strong transient and mid-range performance with a top speed of 135 mph (218 km/h), combined with a 26 per cent reduction in CO 2 emissions to 169 g/km, equivalent to 44.1 mpg on the combined cycle.

The latest generation Range Rover models have all been designed with the integration of a hybrid system in mind. Consequently, the liquid cooled battery pack is mounted beneath the floor of the vehicle in a protective boron-steel cradle without impacting on the cabin or luggage space. The Range Rover Hybrid has the same five-seat capacity and luggage space as the standard vehicle and retains the full-size spare wheel. This no-compromise philosophy is echoed in the Range Rover Sport Hybrid whose interior is unchanged from the standard model, right down to the 5+2 seating.

Both hybrid Range Rover models retaining Land Rover’s peerless four-wheel drive system including Terrain Response 2, with uncompromised wading and ground clearance.

To demonstrate the capabilities of the new hybrids, three Range Rover Hybrids will embark today (Thursday, August 22) on an epic trip, from the home of the Range Rover brand in Solihull to the home of the parent company Tata, in Mumbai, India.

This ‘Silk Trail 2013′ 16,000 km expedition visits 12 countries and takes in some of the world’s most challenging roads, passes and trails, including part of the ancient, 4,000 mile Silk Road connecting Asia with the Mediterranean. These are the first hybrids to ever attempt this challenging route.

The ‘Silk Trail 2013′ expedition featuring the new Range Rover Hybrids is scheduled to visit France, Belgium, Germany, Poland, Ukraine, Russia, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, China and India. The expedition will be broken into 10 separate legs, with the Range Rover Hybrid vehicles driven by teams of Land Rover development engineers and invited media – arriving in Mumbai on October 15.

Category: NEWS