Range Rover Sport plug-in hybrid 04 | 10 | 2017

RANGE ROVER HAS officially revealed its facelifted Range Rover Sport. And the range now includes Jaguar Land Rover’s first-ever plug-in hybrid. Available to order now at Scottish dealerships, prices start from £61,315 – a premium of £1,300 over the outgoing version. The new P400e plug-in model costs £70,800. (Related: Range Rover confirms plug-in hybrid)

Badged P400e, the all-new plug-in hybrid powertrain combines a 296bhp turbocharged 2.0-litre four-cylinder petrol engine with an 85kW electric motor. The result is a total output of 398bhp and 640Nm of torque.

Figures from Land Rover state it’s good for 0-62mph in 6.7 seconds with a top speed of 137mph. That means it’s only outpaced by its two 5.0-litre V8 powered stablemates. (Related: JLR to electrify model range by 2020)

Land Rover claims the car will achieve 101mpg, plus emit just 64g/km of CO2. Bootspace shrinks by 77-litres to 703 due as a result of the PHEV powertrain.

Significantly though, the P400e is capable of driving 31 miles on electric power only. Land Rover also claims it’ll hit a maximum of 85mph on electric-only.

The car’s default setting though is to drive as a hybrid, combining electric power with petrol. A new drive setting called Predictive Energy Optimisation works with the sat-nav system to switch between petrol and electric power to maximise fuel economy.

A full charge can be achieved in less than three hours using a dedicated 32 Amp wall box, and the charging connector is cleverly hidden behind the badge on the front grille

The rest of the new Range Rover Sport engine line-up remains the same, bar the SVR flagship, which now delivers 567bhp from its supercharged 5.0-litre V8. It can now cover 0-62mph in 4.5s.

Exterior styling tweaks are subtle, with a hint of Velar visible in the new lines. Looks carefully and you’ll spot the fact the Sport’s new grille and the design of the new Pixel-laser LED headlights have been carried over from Land Rover’s newest model. The Sport also features new bumpers.

Velar cues continues inside the Sport’s cabin, with the new Touch Pro Duo twin 10-inch touchscreen infotainment system. There are also new leather upholstery combinations and a digital instrument display.

Related: 518bhp Land Rover Discovery SVX

Keep up-to-date with all the latest news by following us on twitter.com/Scotcars

Jim McGill