Range Rover Hybrid 2013 Review - International

What we liked:
>> Everything admirable in conventional Range Rover
>> Ideal off-roader for cashed up buyers who live in the city
>> Informative drivetrain operation readout

Not so much:
>> Diesel engine detracts from known hybrid refinement
>> EV mode range claim may be optimistic
>> Could prove expensive to buy in Australia

Evaluating the new Range Rover Hybrid warrants more than a five or 10km drive on the rain-soaked roads of inner suburban Frankfurt – but fortunately it was enough to reveal the major pros and cons of the new variant.

The latest (L405) Range Rover remains a car we hold in high regard. And the hybrid is much like the diesel Vogue we tested back in April with one important difference: The hybrid comes with a liquid-cooled 266V lithium-ion battery pack and all the other paraphernalia to recover and store energy for the electric motor and multi-clutch system that replaces the standard vehicle's torque converter.

The battery, an inverter and DC:DC converter are located under the floor, between the front and rear axles. This helps weight distribution and packaging, with Land Rover claiming a weight gain of just 120kg – without detriment to interior accommodation or storage space.

Situated between two clutch packs in the bell housing of the ZF automatic transmission the 35kW electric motor develops 170Nm, and total output from V6 and electric motor combined is 250kW and 700Nm (600Nm for the V6 alone). Land Rover claims the Hybrid will polish off 0-100km/h in 6.7 seconds and reach a top speed of 218km/h.

Yet the Range Rover achieves 6.4L/100km and 169g/km of CO2 emissions in combined-cycle fuel consumption testing. These results stem not only from the hybrid drivetrain itself, but also careful tweaking of ancillary systems like the electric-powered climate control system, for instance.

Hotter temperatures in Australia won't pose any reliability problems says Land Rover's Scott Higgins, project leader for hybrid development, with the diesel/electric model tested at temperatures measured up to 50 degrees Celsius – although Land Rover recommends a more conservative operating temperature range between -30 and +40 degrees.

In EV mode the Range Rover will shut down the diesel engine altogether on what would be the overrun in a conventional vehicle. Braking assistance is by means of an electric vacuum pump rather than a hydraulic unit. And steering is electrically assisted too, so the diesel V6 can be safely shut down while the vehicle remains on the move. All of this adds to the potential for the Range Rover to conserve fuel – all the while providing the same level of driveability and refinement we've come to expect from conventional Range Rovers.

During the drive program, the most imposing challenge the Range Rover faced on the wet bitumen of peak-hour Frankfurt was the 'low-Mu' ramp from the underground car park where Land Rover had left the vehicles overnight. As soon as the boom gate lifted and the Range Rover moved forward it was cranking up the diesel V6 because the electric motor wasn't going to hack it by itself. 170Nm goes only so far pushing a two-tonne SUV up a ramp. That said, there's little doubt that the Range Rover's electric motor could have coped if not for a heavy right foot.

For all its admirable weight reduction measures and the smooth torque of the electric motor, the Range Rover is still a heavy vehicle that is going to need the internal-combustion engine for moments just like these. But in bumper-to-bumper traffic at low speeds, it will keep fuel consumption pegged at a reasonable rate, given half a chance.

The route was so short that the fuel consumption never dropped below 11.0L/100km, according to the trip computer. Once the diesel V6 restarted to charge up the battery the consumption jumped to 12.7L/100km again. It's fair to say that the Range Rover Hybrid will almost certainly post better numbers than those once it arrives on home turf around February next year, with the conventional diesel model already on record achieving better results during seven-day tests.

Unlike other hybrids, the Range Rover's combination tachometer and energy meter displays an arrow to mark the point where the V6 will kick in – so the driver can moderate the torque to prevent the diesel from starting. You can watch the threshold move up dynamically as the electric motor moves up through the ZF box's gears. It's a simple but clever approach to encouraging responsible and eco-friendly driving.

The only misgivings from the brief drive related to hybrid-specific operation. The diesel/electric Range Rover can be difficult to halt softly, and anyone expecting the level of refinement of a (petrol-engined) Lexus RX450h on start-up is bound to be disappointed by the Range Rover, even though it's actually quite composed by diesel standards, as the V6 cuts in and out.

Land Rover's claim for a 1.6km EV range may be optimistic too. The manufacturer does qualify that claim with the pre-requisite the lithium-ion battery starts out fully charged – something that was by no means certain during the short drive. The Range Rover covered much less than 1.6km in EV mode, and the diesel V6 had to run for longer than anticipated periods to recharge the battery to the point where EV mode was once more viable.

Finally, is this a vehicle that will be widely sought in Australia? It's clever engineering, and there's little doubt this is one hybrid you wouldn't hesitate to take into the bush, but at what price?

The premium asked over the price of a conventional car for one with hybrid components has often forestalled serious buyer interest. It all depends on how Land Rover will price it when it reaches Australia early next year.

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