Hybrid Range Rover for Oz

Land Rover’s first electrified model, the mould-breaking new Range Rover hybrid, has been confirmed for release in Australia by the end of next year.

Land Rover Australia spokesman Tim Krieger told motoring.com.au the diesel-electric version of the fourth-generation Range Rover, which arrives in local showrooms with V6 and V8 diesel and supercharged petrol V8 engines in February, will arrive here in about 12 months.

Mr Krieger said the first hybrid Range Rover, which is likely to make its global public debut at the Detroit motor show in January before launching in Europe around mid-2013, is expected to be a niche model in Australia.

However, unlike key hybrid SUV rivals like the petrol-electric Lexus RX450h and Porsche Cayenne S Hybrid, it will be one of the first diesel-electric hybrid models to become available here.

Land Rover believes the improved efficiency and performance delivered by the addition of an electric motor will appeal not only to luxury SUV buyers with an environmental conscience, but those who want to be seen to be green.

“We think that will that will make it a more compelling proposition than what’s currently available in the market,” said Mr Krieger, who said pricing had not yet been finalised.

However, expect Land Rover’s first electrified model to follow the lead of its two most direct competitors by landing here with a not insignificant price premium over the model on which it’s based.

The RX450h is available in three equipment levels priced from $82,900 - $5500 more than the 3.5-litre petrol V6-powered RX350 upon which it’s based – while the single-spec Cayenne S Hybrid costs $164,400, making it a whopping $55,000 pricier than the entry-level Cayenne V6 petrol.

In this case the hybrid Range Rover is most closely related to the base 3.0-litre V6 Diesel HSE ($168,900), so it could be priced as high as the 4.4-litre twin-turbo-diesel-powered V8 Diesel Vogue, which costs about $200,000 on the road at $195,100 plus on-road costs.

However, the substantial perice premium will be somewhat offset by combined fuel consumption of just 6.3L/100km and CO2 emissions of 169g/km, making it 1.2L/100km and 27g/km more efficient than the new entry-level Rangie TDV6, which itself is 22 per cent more efficient than the TDV8 it replaces at base level while matching its performance

While the Rangie TDV6 delivers 190kW/600Nm, sprints to 100km/h in 7.9 seconds, consumes 7.5L/100km and emits 196g/km, the hybrid will be no less than 40 per cent more efficient than the most frugal version of the outgoing Rangie, the 10MY 3.6 TDV8 (294g/km).

What’s more, Land Rover claims the first hybrid Range Rover, which will employ a combined power output of more than 250kW to sprint to 100km/h in less than seven seconds, will be 25 per cent quicker to 100km/h than the 10MY 3.6 TDV8 (0-100km/h in 9.2 seconds) and about as quick as the new Rangie 4.4 TDV8.

Better still, Land Rover describes its inaugural hybrid as the world’s first all-terrain hybrid and the world’s most capable hybrid because it will come with no compromise to off-road ability or interior space, thanks to a floor-mounted Li-Ion (nickel cobalt aluminium) high-voltage battery pack with capacity of 1.7kWh and peak output of 50kW.

Combining the entry-level variant’s 3.0-litre V6 turbo-diesel and eight-speed automatic transmission with a permanent magnet AC synchronous electric motor, it will offer the same new Terrain Response 2 system and increased 900mm wading depth as the new Rangie upon which it’s based.

In addition, the full parallel hybrid system will be able to drive all four wheels with either the battery’s electric power, the engine’s diesel power or a combination of both, but Land Rover is keeping other key details – including its battery-only driving range – to itself until closer to launch.

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