Range Rover Sport Electric 2027 Review

The Range Rover Sport Electric is scheduled to land in Australia in March 2027, initially in two upper-specification guises: a $226,518 plus-on roads Dynamic HSE, and the Autobiography, at $249,518 excluding on-roads.

Both use a dual permanent magnet motor AWD electric powertrain producing 405kW/850Nm, coupled to a 118.5kWh (usable) NMC battery with 344 prismatic cells promising 609km of electric range (WLTP). More and less powerful versions are expected to join the range over time.

Land Rover boffins say they targeted V8-like performance from the launch version of the Electric, and pricing has been pegged essentially to match. Compared to eight-cylinder iterations of the same trim grades, opting for the EV costs between $4718-7618 more upfront.

That positioning sees the Sport Electric sit between Porsche’s new Cayenne S Electric ($193,100) and the enormously powerful Cayenne Turbo Electric ($259,900). The Range Rover also falls well below the electric Mercedes-Benz G580, which asks $252,700.

Final Australian specs for the Sport Electric are still being nailed down, but there is no obvious reason to expect Jaguar Land Rover to strip equipment compared to the combustion Dynamic HSE and Autobiography.

As a baseline, expect semi-aniline leather upholstery, heated/ventilated front seats, a strong Meridian premium stereo, 13.1-inch ‘Pivi Pro’ touchscreen with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, 13.7-inch digital instrument cluster, head-up display, wireless charger, and soft-close doors.

We expect the $23K-dearer Autobiography to add luxe items like massaging front seats with winged headrests, heated and cooled rear pews, quad-zone climate control, deep-pile carpets, solar privacy glass, rear sunblinds, digital rear view mirror and even richer extended leather trim.

Buyers of the electric Autobiography will also be eligible to commission their own individualised car via the new Range Rover Bespoke program – and there will be a dedicated design studio in Sydney.

For EV models of the Range Rover Sport, 21- and 22-inch wheels will be offered (both with full-size alloy spare), while the SUV is capable of 22kW AC and 350kW DC charging.

Land Rover has confirmed the availability of extra-cost Black Pack, Satin Wrap and Comfort Pack options, the latter adding laminated side glass, cabin pre-conditioning and air purification and front console refrigerator.

There is remarkable differentiation between the full-size Range Rover Electric, which we found maximises on comfort and softness, and the harder-edged Range Rover Sport Electric.

Land Rover has clearly understood that ‘Sport’ had to mean something tangible. The full-fat Range Rover Electric is serene and dignified, but it tends to lean quite noticeably while cornering. That boaty character disappears in the Sport, which picks up some useful anti-roll tech out of the box.

Dynamic Response Pro tech uses 48-volt electronic active anti-roll actuators that can apply up to 1400Nm of lateral torque, with resistance to roll altered every 10 milliseconds while cornering – good for warding off body roll by up to 2.8 degrees per G, the brand says.

That sounds like jargon until you feel it working. On simulated fast corners at Jaguar Land Rover’s Gaydon Proving Ground, the 2770kg Sport Electric stayed absurdly flat, allowing you to confidently push on – helped too by good levels of tyre grip.

The Sport feels considerably smaller and lighter than it is and it’s keen to change direction. Aided by considerable additional torsional stiffness when compared with combustion versions of the Range Rover, the EV is up there with the new Porsche Cayenne Electric for involvement.

There’s always something happening underneath to keep up the visage: Adaptive Dynamics predicts pitch and roll from driver inputs, recalibrating 500 times per second; twin-valve dampers from Bilstein react quickly to wheel movements to keep things in check.

Despite the harder edge to the Range Rover Sport, ride quality remains fundamentally decent (particularly on 21s) despite the twin-chamber air springs using firmer rates than the big Range Rover.

The shift to electric power has allowed for finer control of the throttle, too, with a novel new traction control system that Land Rover says is 100 times faster than its ICE equivalents. Off-road, it’s a huge boon, with amazing precision over vehicle speed and regenerative braking.

Outside and in, the brand has resisted the temptation to shout about the electric propulsion of this SUV. Subtle ‘EV’ wheel centre caps are about it: this looks like a Range Rover Sport, which is what customers said they wanted.

The interior is subtle and luxurious with an excellent driving position, seriously comfortable seats, and crisp and responsive infotainment. Better still, knobs for volume and off-road drive modes make their return for 2027.

Rear accommodation is family-sized, although we’d call it adequate rather than palatial. The Sport’s MLA Flex platform still has a transmission tunnel and lots of mechanicals to package: the upside to genuine capability, with 900mm wading depth and extraordinary articulation off-road.

Boot capacity is a healthy 835L when measured to the roof, expanding to 1860L with rear seats folded – though there is no frunk.

While the addition of an EV option to the lineup is intriguing for those who like cutting-edge tech, and for buyers who can easily charge with a wallbox at home or at the office, the allure of the V8 hasn’t entirely gone away.

Land Rover has spent serious time developing an EV-specific soundtrack built around an 80-hertz pulse and layered audio effects; in Dynamic mode, there is a faint replication of a supercharger whine delivered through headrest speakers. It’s tasteful, but it’s all a bit subtle.

Test drive the P530 V8 version and you get noise, vibration, and a tonne of theatre that the Electric hasn’t tried to reproduce. Compared to EVs like the Hyundai Ioniq 5 or even the refreshed Porsche Taycan, there is no simulated combustion experience here.

While the Sport Electric matches the acceleration of the V8-powered alternative, it trails its sense of occasion.

The effect is compounded by the fact that Range Rover doesn’t have an ‘SV’ tune of the EV ready at launch that could take on the wild 850kW/1500Nm Cayenne Turbo Electric that compensates for its silence by being so violent in a straight line it takes your breath away.

There are a few compromises to choosing EV: the top speed is cut from 250km/h to 200km/h – arguably not that relevant in Australia – but those who want to tow will note the reduction from 3500kg to 2500kg.

Inside, while Range Rover has thrown a few concessions to the button-brigade, the dashboard is still massively reductive with lots of deliberately smooth surfaces. What is missing are beautifully damped metal switches and toggles that increasingly separate genuine luxury from minimalism.

That really depends on what you’re looking for in your luxury SUV purchase.

Perhaps you’re already a Range Rover person and you’re ready to embrace the electric lifestyle: you won’t find many compromises here. On- and off-road, this is a thoroughly traditional experience.

The Sport EV is also vastly cheaper to buy than the full-size Range Rover Electric, even if we think the ‘full-fat’ version ultimately makes more sense, with electric power perfectly complementing its stately purposes.

If the sound and character of a big combustion engine remain part of what you’re looking for in a premium crossover, Range Rover hasn’t tried to recreate the theatre here. The Sport Electric is comfortable being more serene and refined than its V8 siblings.

If you’re a lover of the Range Rover silhouette and you already own an EV – or you’re already in the headspace to add a plug to your next vehicle – then the Sport Electric is an interesting option. It deliberately avoids looking like an eco-conscious vehicle and only whispers its zero-emission cred.

There is also something to be said for buying the ‘genuine item’. The Australian market is on the cusp of being flooded by a range of more affordable, semi-premium electrified SUVs with Range Rover-like styling, but none?yet live up to the cohesive experience on offer here.

2027 Range Rover Sport Electric at a glance:
Price: from $226,518 plus on-road costs
Available: March 2027
Powertrain: Two permanent magnet synchronous motors
Output: 405kW/850Nm
Transmission: Single-speed reduction gearbox
Battery: 118.5kWh NMC (usable)
Range: 609km
Energy consumption: 19.4kWh/100km
Safety rating: Unrated

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