Land Rover has taken the wraps off its for 2018 facelift for the Range Rover Sport. The updated SUV gets quite a few cosmetic changes inside and out and new variants.
The important points of the mid-life facelift are a 575hp, SVR variant and a new plug-in hybrid trim. The facelifted model will be replaced by an all-new model that is expected in 2020.
The top-spec Range Rover Sport SVR is powered by the Jaguar F-type SVR’s 5.0-litre V8 supercharged petrol engine that develops 575hp (a bump of 25hp over the outgoing model) and 700Nm of peak torque.
The range-topper betters the previous SVR’s claimed 0-100kph time by 0.2 seconds, hitting the ton mark in 4.5 seconds.
The plug-in hybrid variant of the new Range Rover Sport, called the P400e, is the first electrified model to be released since Jaguar Land Rover announced last month that it will have an electrified version of every model on sale from 2020.
The P400e mates a 300hp, 2.0-litre, four-cylinder, Ingenium petrol engine with an 116hp electric motor. The hybrid has a combined output of 404hp that is transmitted to all-four-wheels, helping the SUV hit 100kph in a claimed 6.7 seconds. Land Rover also claims a fuel economy of 37.75kpl and an electric only range of up to 50km.
The British manufacturer has said the plug-in hybrid means “customers can experience zero-emission near-silent off-road luxury with uncompromised all-terrain capability” for the first time.
The P400e offers two driving modes: the default Parallel Hybrid mode and EV mode. The first combines petrol and electric drive and allows the driver to optimise battery charge or fuel economy. In this mode, a Save function prevents the battery charge from dropping below the selected level and the Predictive Energy Optimisation function requires you to enter a destination into the navigation. The system, which is similar to that used in many new plug-in hybrids such as the BMW 330e, then uses GPS altitude data to optimise the switch between electric motor and petrol engine, maximising fuel economy over different gradients.
The 13.1kWh lithium-ion battery is mounted at the rear beneath the boot floor, reducing boot space from 780 litres to 703 litres. The charging cable access is behind the Land Rover badge on the right of the front grille. The carmaker claims that two hours and 45 minutes is enough to charge it to the brim thanks to a special home wall box, but a standard charge takes seven hours 30 minutes.
In addition to the SVR and P400e, the Range Rover Sport facelift will be offered with a full range of petrol and diesel powertrains, including Ingenium four-cylinder and V6 and V8 units.
Compared to the outgoing model, the facelift has a tweaked grille, new LED headlamps, interiors inspired by the Velar, the new Touch Pro Duo infotainment system that features two 10.0-inch touchscreens, up to 12 power points and an activity key that allows owners to lock and unlock their vehicle without a key fob.
While there is no word on when Land Rover will bring the Range Rover Sport facelift to India where it will rival the Porsche Cayenne Turbo, the British manufacturer has recently launched its new Discovery and is gearing up to launch the Range Rover Velar soon.
Also read:
2018 Range Rover Sport facelift image gallery
2018 Range Rover Sport SVR facelift image gallery
Range Rover PHEV due imminently with new petrol-electric powertrain
Range Rover Evoque PHEV coming with new three-pot engine
Land Rover to launch new Road Rover model in 2019
2017 Range Rover Velar review, test drive
2017 Land Rover Discovery review, test drive