A Look At The Range Rover Sport PHEV

SUVs are currently the most popular type of car around which means that car manufacturers tend to take them very seriously. This also means that anything new that is introduced in this segment is done so after careful deliberation and planning which means that any change in SUVs is here to stay. On that vein, the Range Rover Sport PHEV represents a major shift in the mindset of both car manufacturers and the expectations of car consumers. After all, it is a freaking Range Rover powered by a hybrid engine.

Can Range Rovers and hybrid technology even co-exist?

This is the first question that would pop into people's heads when they hear that Range Rover is making a hybrid car. Why is it so shocking? Well, a Range Rover SUV is meant to go pretty much everywhere a car can fit and that means being driven through water and mud and everything in between, that could be difficult for the luxury brands engineers to manage. Powerwise, hybrids do not have any shortcomings but it is the part with the water that can raise eyebrows. Water and electricity do not exactly go hand in hand with each other but Range Rover hasn't gone at this half-cocked. The batteries are enclosed in a waterproof compartment and the Range Rover Sport PHEV will do everything a Range Rover is meant to do.

What the car is all about:

At its very heart, the Range Rover Sport PHEV is a luxury SUV with all the amenities and features you would expect from a premium car with the added benefit of being very economical and environment-friendly. The CO2 emissions are future proof as it is so low that even when stricter emission norms will be introduced, this car would still be acceptable and affordable to run. It can do an amazing 31 miles on just its battery power which is a phenomenal range for a car of its size and weight. Another amazing quality is the ability of this car to touch 85 mph on battery power alone. The sensation of such a big car powering to 85 mph with the characteristic silence of an EV is just otherworldly. The only quirk it has is that when the switch is made from electric to hybrid mode there is a noticeable delay while everything adapts but it is nothing that is earth-shatteringly bad. Overall, this is a very luxurious car that will allow you to drive silently and in an eco-friendly manner in the city and power through A-roads with plenty of grunt and ease.

What it means for the future:

SUVs are never going to be the same again as the Range Rover Sport PHEV is the perfect exhibition of a fully functional hybrid SUV and it is only a matter of time before more affordable hybrid SUVs hit the market. It also means that the day where a fully functional electric SUV becomes mainstream is not that far away and it is not a matter of if but a matter of when that will happen. Cars can rarely pack in so many surprises but the Range Rover Sport PHEV will definitely leave you with plenty of admiration and astonishment.