It won’t surprise anyone to learn of the arrival of an all-electric Range Rover Sport, given its big brother went electric only weeks ago. Both models have largely been in lockstep since the Sport model arrived on our roads 22 years ago. At the time, it was a big surprise: a sizeable SUV with proper off-road credentials that could be thrown into a corner like a coupé.
The folks at Range Rover proved they could play with the laws of physics. Since then, the Range Rover Sport has added layers of performance and improved handling – exceptional for a car in this class. It hasn’t had it all its own way, though. Porsche has certainly put it up to the Sport, and arguably overtaken it for outright driving dynamics.
Now comes the all-electric version, looking little different from its combustion-engined twins but underpinned by a completely new electric powertrain. Not that many will notice, as it silently glides out of well-heeled suburban driveways on school runs or shopping expeditions.
The Sport comes in two flavours, with either 330kW (450PS) or 404kW (550PS). Both versions deliver 850Nm of torque and source power from a 118.5kWh NMC battery pack, driving two electric motors. Range Rover claims a combined range of 609km and a real-world range of 533km, while being capable of taking a DC charge of up to 350kW at peak. That range gives it an ever-so-slightly longer run between chargers than its big brother.
RM Block
That’s the data. What it means on the road is serious performance, with the more powerful 550hp version delivering a 0-100km/h time of 4.5 seconds. At the same time, it can clamber up a rock face and wade through 900mm of standing water, as you would expect from the brand.
There is, however, a consequence of strapping that big battery pack into the chassis. On a very brief – and controlled – test drive at the company’s Gaydon test facility some months ago, the Sport’s ride felt, well, sporty, but also quite firm. That’s great when it comes to performance, but the jury remains out on how it might feel when doing its daily chores, ferrying the family from piano lessons to ballet dancing.
Surprisingly, firmness cannot simply be blamed on a big increase in weight. The all-electric version at 2,770kg is just 35kg heavier than the P460e plug-in hybrid version currently on sale in Ireland.
Those who do venture off-road in a Sport mainly do so in muddy fields while towing horseboxes. For them, the 2,500kg braked towing capacity should suffice, though it is down 500kg on the current Range Rover Sport plug-in hybrid.
In typical Range Rover style, they weren’t about to do anything as mundane as get us towing a trailer or negotiating a tight multi-storey shopping centre car park.
Instead, we were tasked with negotiating the Sport through a channel cut through the side of an aircraft body that left just a whisper of air between the car and the fuselage. A fun challenge? Certainly. Relevance? The jury is out on that.
On price, the all-electric version is close to the PHEV when compared on equivalent specifications. While the PHEV has an entry-grade S version that starts at €106,250, the all-electric version begins with a Dynamic SE grade at €123,830 for the 450hp version. Compare the equivalent Dynamic SE grade on the PHEV, and it is just €1,220 less expensive.
Of course, history shows that few Range Rover buyers opt for the entry-level grade, so expect to see more than a few 550PS First Edition Sports on our roads after buyers have handed over €159,570.
Even at that price, there’s headroom between the Sport and the full-blooded flagship Range Rover, which starts at €160,620 and rises to the heady heights of €325,360. Going green in this class can be pricey.
