New Range Rover revealed – and there will be an electric model
From gas guzzler to eco warrior: The new £95,000 Range Rover is revealed – and the there’ll be an all-electric version from 2024
Fifth-generation Range Rover revealed on Tuesday – launch models to be priced from £94,400 to £137,800Bosses confirm an all-electric version – which will be the first EV Land Rover – will be on sale from 2024Her Majesty the Queen is likely to be the first customer to take delivery of the pure electric Range RoverNew Range Rover will – for the first time ever – be available as a 7-seat version – and a posh ‘SV’ example is dueWe reveal 10 things you need to know about the SUV – and reveal a ‘new’ old Range Rover that’s ULEZ exempt
<!–
<!–
<!–<!–
<!–
(function (src, d, tag){
var s = d.createElement(tag), prev = d.getElementsByTagName(tag)[0];
s.src = src;
prev.parentNode.insertBefore(s, prev);
}(“https://scripts.dailymail.co.uk/static/gunther/1.17.0/async_bundle–.js”, document, “script”));
<!–
DM.loadCSS(“https://scripts.dailymail.co.uk/static/gunther/gunther-2159/video_bundle–.css”);
<!–
A fully electric Range Rover will go on sale to customers within three years, bosses have announced, as they took the wraps off the all-new fifth generation flagship 4X4.
The iconic luxury SUV that can also cut it off road has devoted fans including the Queen and the country set, as well as Premiership footballers, captains of industry, celebrities and rap-stars.
It will be the first of six fully electric Land Rovers, spearheading a full-range of battery-powered models to follow.
And in the wake of her recent environmental pronouncements on the state of the planet, it is likely Her Majesty and her Royal Household will be among the first – if not the first – to take delivery of the battery-powered electric Range Rover that’s truly fit for a ‘green’ Queen.
From gas guzzler to eco warrior: This is the new fifth-generation Range Rover that – in 2024 – will be available as a fully-electric vehicle
Along with a petrol-electric plug-in hybrid version and – for the first time – the option of an additional two passengers with a family-friendly seven seat layout, bosses hope the ‘electrification’ of the British designed and built Range Rover off-roader will help banish forever its ‘gas-guzzler’ reputation.
The announcement that a pollution-free pure electric Range Rover hitting showrooms from 2024 came as the firm unveiled the new fifth-generation incarnation of its luxury 4X4 first launched more than five decades ago in 1970.
It has been specially designed on a flexible new platform which allows engineers to power it with both electric motors and batteries, as well as more conventional petrol, diesel and hybrid propulsion, with prices starting from £94,400.
The announcement was made online globally from London’s Royal Opera House, though we had a chance for an early look around three versions at Land Rover’s design and engineering centre at Gaydon in Warwickshire. The new Range Rover is being built at the firm’s specially revamped factory in Solihull, near Birmingham, in the West Midlands.
Although the new Range Rover’s design is described as ‘more evolutionary than revolutionary’, there are a few standout features – not least the rear styling and ‘hidden until lit’ lights, which have the brake lights in the vertical section of the dark panel and the indicators in the horizontal part.
Bosses said the looks are ‘more evolutionary than revolutionary’, though the rear light cluster is a departure from previous Range Rover design and not like any other model in the British marque’s line up
Along with a petrol-electric plug-in hybrid version and – for the first time – the option of an additional two passengers with a family-friendly seven seat layout, bosses hope the ‘electrification’ of the British designed and built Range Rover off-roader will help banish forever its ‘gas-guzzler’ reputation
The fifth-generation Range Rover is very much in-keeping with the flagship SUV’s modern looks. It has a slightly revised front bumper and more svelte rear shape
There are also some small tweaks to the grille but other than that it is very much in-keeping with the modern Range Rover silhouette.
Instead, it is the Range Rover’s acceleration towards full electric power that is the most significant update of all.
The forthcoming electric version will, however, look little different on the outside – save for a few cosmetic and lighting tweaks – from the vehicle unveiled today.
The government has confirmed that sales of new petrol and diesel cars will be banned in the UK from 2030.
It was also announced last week as part of the Net Zero Strategy that MPs will consult on the introduction of a Zero Emission Vehicle mandate for 2024, which would force vehicle manufacturers to sell an increasing share of ultra-green models each year.
Daily Mail’s Ray Massey had an early preview of the all-new Range Rover at the home of JLR in Gaydon ahead of its unveiling
The Range Rover’s acceleration towards full electric power is the most significant update of all. It will be sold from next year with a choice of Plug-in Electric Hybrid (PHEV) powertrains before the zero-emission version arrives a couple of years later
Prices for launch models – which includes mild hybrid petrols and diesels, plug-in hybrids and a range-topping V8 petrol will start from £94,400 and go all the way up to almost £138,000
The combination will likely spark auto brands – especially those based domestically – to accelerate their plans to switch to electric motors.
The green transition for Land Rover begins with two new Range Rover plug-in hybrids, which combine a frugal petrol engine with an electric motor and battery to boost power while reducing emissions.
They are part of a line-up of standard and long wheel-base off-roaders which includes mild hybrid petrol and diesel engines, a range-topping ‘old-school’ petrol V8, with the pure electric version to follow within three years.
The battery-only model arriving in 2024 will be the first of six fully electric Land Rovers, spearheading a full-range of battery-powered models to follow
The split rear tailgate design has been retained, as is the tradition with all Range Rovers since launch, with the continuation of podium seating for when you want to pull up at a regatta
The Range Rover is by no means small. Daily Mail’s Ray Massey pictured flanked by a short- and long-wheelbase version of the new fifth-gen model
Land Rover said: ‘Electrification delivers the ultimate impression of refinement and luxury by providing hushed, instantly available power.
‘Spearheading our strategy, a pure-electric Range Rover will join the family in 2024, providing permanent zero-emissions driving for the first time.’
Range Rover product chief Nick Miller noted: ‘Ultimately, the new Range Rover will become the first all-electric Land Rover.’
Jaguar Land Rover chief executive Thierry Bollore said of his firm’s electric future: ‘It writes the next chapter in the unique story of pioneering innovation that has been that has been a Range Rover hallmark for 50 years.’
The long wheelbase Range Rover (right) is some 230mm extended compared to the standard short wheelbase example (left)
From 2022 an exclusive ‘SV’ version from Land Rover’s Special Vehicle Operations arm – which includes a four-seat chauffer version – will be added to the line-up
SV Autobiography versions will be like high-riding limousines. They will be available in long-wheel-base format and can be identified by their two-tone paint design – which even means striking contrasts on the wheel spokes
The Autobiography models will be sold from 2022 and come with a full host of powertrains, including the PHEV options
Which versions of the Range Rover will be available at launch?
From launch, the new Range Rover will be available with a mild hybrid ‘straight six’ cylinder 3.0-litre petrol (P400) and 3.0-litre diesel engines (D300 and D350), and a range-topping P530 Twin Turbo 4.4-litre V8 petrol.
Two plug-in hybrids will follow from January: the P440e and more powerful P510e, with a 3.0-litre six-cylinder with a battery-electric motor.
Standard trim levels are: SE, HSE, Autobiography, and First Edition. From 2022 an exclusive ‘SV’ version from Land Rover’s Special Vehicle Operations arm will be added.
The SV version will offer ‘executive class comfort’ on 23-inch wheels is available in long and short wheelbase, a chauffeur-style four-seat configuration, a clever ‘Club Table’ with a chiller recess for champagne bottle and two Dartington Crystal glass flutes. Very flashy indeed.
The SV models are set to come at a significant premium over the standard car and offer a bounty of optional extras that will push the price even higher
The SV version will feature a clever ‘Club Table’ with a chiller recess for champagne bottle and two Dartington Crystal glass flutes
The most expensive variants will feature a chilled cabinet for drinks in the rear passenger armrest
Passengers will always be sitting comfortably with power seats, their own screens and control function located in the central armrest
Prices for the new Range Rover launch models start from £94,400 for an entry-level diesel D300 short-wheelbase in entry SE trim, up to £137,800 for a five-seater long-wheelbase ‘First Edition’ model.
No prices have yet been announced for the plug-in hybrid models, hand-crafted SV models for 2022, or the fully-electric ‘e-Range Rover’ in 2024 – though customers can expect a considerable mark-up for each.
Land Rover says the new off-roader has undergone more than 620,000 miles of tests, which includes lapping the Nurburgring and taking on extreme desert and artic climates.
It has also been put through some 260,000 ‘virtual’ assessments with 125 ‘and counting’ unique patents lodged.
More than 7,000 people have spent more than seven million hours over five years creating the new Range Rover 4X4 which will be exported around the globe, said Jaguar Land Rover.
Land Rover says the new off-roader has undergone more than 620,000 miles of tests, which includes lapping the fearsome Nurburgring circuit in Germany
The new Range Rover has also been taking on extreme desert and artic climates to see if it can stand the most extreme environments. It has also been put through some 260,000 ‘virtual’ assessments with 125 ‘and counting’ unique patents lodged
Back home at Gaydon, the car has also been assessed for its offroad capability, with some Range Rover owners taking their vehicles off the beaten track (sometimes)
Electric Range Rover will be a perfect motor for a green Queen: Her Royal Highness has in the past been frequently photographed at the wheel of Range Rovers and other vehicles in the Land Rover line-up, as well as being chauffeured in them
An electric Range Rover is the perfect vehicle for a ‘green’ Queen
Range Rover’s parent company, Jaguar Land Rover, holds Royal Warrants from HM The Queen and HRH the Prince of Wales.
Until his death earlier this year, they also held a warrant from the Duke of Edinburgh who agreed to confine his driving to the royal estates following an accident on a public road near Sandringham in his Land Rover Freelander.
The Queen has in the past been frequently photographed at the wheel of Range Rovers and other vehicles in the Land Rover line-up, as well as being chauffeured in them.
Her Majesty pictured driving her green Range Rover as she attended the Royal Windsor Horse Show in Home Park in May 2017
The Queen, accompanied by Major General Matthew Sykes (C) and Lieutenant General Sir Andrew Gregory (L), stands in her State Review Range Rover to inspect troops of the King’s Troop Royal Horse Artillery during their 70th Anniversary Parade in Hyde Park on October 19, 2017 in London
Significantly, she also made a rare public intervention on the climate change crisis this month, saying she is ‘irritated’ by people who ‘talk but don’t do’.
She made the pointed comment while attending the opening of the Welsh parliament in Cardiff.
The 95-year-old monarch was speaking to the Duchess of Cornwall and Elin Jones, the parliament’s presiding officer, when her remarks were picked up on the event’s live stream.
The Queen referred to the upcoming Cop26 climate change conference in Glasgow, which she had been due to attend but has cancelled her appearance following doctors’ orders.
She said: ‘Extraordinary isn’t it… I’ve been hearing all about Cop… still don’t know who is coming… no idea.
‘We only know about people who are not coming… It’s really irritating when they talk, but they don’t do.’
Her Majesty is believed to share concerns in government about who will attending the forthcoming Cop26 after Boris Johnson was warned China’s President Xi would not be there in person.
The remarks were a rare public insight into the politically neutral – and tight-lipped – monarch’s personal views on an issue of global importance.
In 2019, she used her Christmas speech to praise young climate change activists and their sense of purpose.
She has also introduced environmentally friendly initiatives at Buckingham Palace and other royal residences, including monitoring energy consumption through a network of smart meters, installing energy-efficient LED lighting where possible and using combined heat and power plants and boilers to convert natural gas into electricity.
Having trained during the war as a mechanic fixing trucks in the Women’s Auxiliary Territorial Service (ATS), she also takes a keen interest in matters automotive and, along with the Prince of Wales and other senior members of the royal family, is granted early and secret access to see and have demonstrated the latest models and technology before it is officially unveiled. That includes vehicles joining or being considered for the royal fleet at Buckingham Palace, Windsor and Sandringham.
Similarly Prince Charles, with a long-standing interest in environmental matters, was the first to see the secret development of Jaguar’s all-electric i-Pace car, in with which he was subsequently driven and photographed.
He was also first to see Jaguar Land Rover’s pioneering work on electric and autonomous vehicles at Warwick University.
In July 2013 the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge memorably brought home the newly-born Prince George from St Mary’s Hospital to Kensington Palace in a then new Range Rover – complete with Isofix fittings for the first-time used child seat – and with Prince William at the wheel.
Widely photographed and filmed, the SE Vogue model powered by a 4.4-litre V8 diesel engine which develops 334bhp – giving it a 0-62mph time of just 6.5 seconds – was made available to the young couple for their personal use by Land Rover’s VIP Department.
That very vehicle – having been decommissioned from the royal fleet but maintaining the same number place – sold at auction for £50,625 – double the value of what the car would have been worth without the Duke and Duchess connection.
CARS & MOTORING: ON TEST
