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2018 Range Rover Plug-In Hybrid Goes Winter Testing

As the regular car buyer shifts toward hybridization and electrification, it’s no wonder the industry is only happy to respond to his request. But behind closed doors, it’s the increasingly stringent emissions and gas mileage standards that are forcing most automakers to rethink the short-term business plan.
2018 Range Rover Plug-In Hybrid 19 photos
Photo: Stefan Baldauf/SB-Medien
2018 Range Rover Plug-In Hybrid2018 Range Rover Plug-In Hybrid2018 Range Rover Plug-In Hybrid2018 Range Rover Plug-In Hybrid2018 Range Rover Plug-In Hybrid2018 Range Rover Plug-In Hybrid2018 Range Rover Plug-In Hybrid2018 Range Rover Plug-In Hybrid2018 Range Rover Plug-In Hybrid2018 Range Rover Plug-In Hybrid2018 Range Rover Plug-In Hybrid2018 Range Rover Plug-In Hybrid2018 Range Rover Plug-In Hybrid2018 Range Rover Plug-In Hybrid2018 Range Rover Plug-In Hybrid2018 Range Rover Plug-In Hybrid2018 Range Rover Plug-In Hybrid2018 Range Rover Plug-In Hybrid
Land Rover is one of those manufacturers, though it is a bit behind the competition as far as hybrids, PHEVs, and EVs are concerned. Even big poppa Range Rover has a Hybrid variant, packing a 3.0-liter SDV6 turbo diesel and a 35 kW electric motor for 335 horsepower in total system output.

Currently preparing to show off its mid-cycle clothes, the fourth-gen Range Rover is also expected to go through a fair bit of change as far as hybridization in concerned. As the following spy photos reveal, the British SUV maker is testing a plug-in hybrid take on the Range Rover facelift.

Running the plates through DVLA’s system returned not even a single relevant detail regarding the powertrain. If the rumor mill is to be believed, the Range Rover Plug-In Hybrid will make use of a 295 horsepower Ingenium gas-fueled engine and an Electric Drive Module. The turbocharged four-cylinder powerhouse is expected to be conjoined to an eight-speed auto.

The Electric Drive Module is said to develop as many as 201 horsepower and 332 pound-feet of torque, meaning that go-faster prowess might be in the pipeline as much as eco-friendly credentials. Packaged under the trunk’s floor, the battery pack should offer an electric-only range of anything between 20 to 30 miles (32 - 48 kilometers).

Bearing in mind the powertrain of the 2018 Range Rover Plug-In Hybrid is more speculation than fact at this very moment in time, anything can happen by the time Land Rover will debut this baby. Having said these, the switch from the diesel-powered Hybrid to the gasoline-fed Plug-In Hybrid seems to be the right way to go for the world’s favorite luxury SUV.
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About the author: Mircea Panait
Mircea Panait profile photo

After a 1:43 scale model of a Ferrari 250 GTO sparked Mircea's interest for cars when he was a kid, an early internship at Top Gear sealed his career path. He's most interested in muscle cars and American trucks, but he takes a passing interest in quirky kei cars as well.
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