Overall rating:

Reducing emissions and improving economy of large SUVs is a major challenge, but Land Rover thinks it has cracked it with the plug-in hybrid Range_e. It offers just 89g/km emissions and 85mpg, but retains all of its Range Rover appeal.

Key Facts

Pricing: not yet on sale
Engine: 3.0-litre V6 turbodiesel and 69kW electric motor
Transmission: eight-speed automatic, four-wheel drive
Body style: five-door SUV
Rivals: Lexus RX 450h, Porsche Cayenne Hybrid, Volkswagen Touareg Hybrid
CO₂ emissions: 89g/km
Combined economy: 85mpg
Top speed: 120mph
Power: 334bhp (diesel and electric combined)

In the Metal:

The car we drove was one of just five prototype Range_e cars in existence. As such, it could be forgiven for being a little rough round the edges, but far from that, this car appears to all intents and purposes just like a standard Range Rover Sport. You then spot the double fuel filler flaps - one for diesel and one for the electric charging socket. Aside from this, and the stickers proclaiming the car's low emissions, the Range_e could glide through town and you wouldn't give is a second glance.

It's much the same story inside. The changes are small and subtle, so you need to look at the main instruments to see that the rev counter has been replaced by a battery charge indicator. Otherwise, it's business as usual for the Range_e with its superb driving position and luxo-filled cabin.

Driving it:

The first thing you notice when starting the Range_e is that there's no noise from the engine. It has been set up to drive off the battery at town speeds, so the 3.0-litre V6 turbodiesel, which is the same 242bhp unit found in standard Range Rover Sport models, remains silent. From a completely cold start, the diesel engine is warmed up, so it can kick into action at any moment.

Bringing the diesel into the equation is simply a matter of pressing hard on the throttle. The car's electro-brain works out the best combination of battery and diesel power and then sends it to all four wheels. It's seamless in action and the only niggle we found was with the eight-speed gearbox, which displayed jerky changes compared to the standard model's. There's no doubting the acceleration on offer from the Range_e, however, thanks to 334bhp of combined power from the engine and electric motor.

Handling was identical to a standard Sport's on our short test drive, though the additional 170kg of weight added by the batteries will likely tell in a back-to-back comparison. However, Land Rover says the Range_e is just as adept off-road as any normal Sport model.

At town speeds, the Range_e is hushed and it glides along on battery power alone. It's as easy to drive and manoeuvre as any Range Rover Sport and the hybrid power source makes no demands on the driver to change his or her driving style. If anything, the Range_e is more relaxing to drive than a standard Sport thanks to its near silence on the move.

What you get for your Money:

As the Range_e is a prototype, you cannot buy it, no matter how much cash you have. What you will be able to buy from 2013 is a standard hybrid Land Rover. It looks likely the next generation Range Rover will be the first to offer this, along with a new lightweight construction to maximise efficiency. A plug-in hybrid Land Rover model will follow on in 2015 and Land Rover's Martin Dowson, manager of the firm's Advanced Hybrid Research, says: "This is definitely the way we see the luxury end of the market developing as customers want both performance and economy. Hybrid and plug-in hybrids offer this versatility."

Worth Noting

Land Rover's figures for the Range_e are very impressive, with 85mpg and 89/gkm of carbon dioxide emissions. These would look good for a supermini, but for a large SUV they are astonishing, and LR says they are real-world achievable. All five of the Range_e prototypes are racking up miles to prove their worth, and the company says the batteries will get smaller and cheaper with large-scale production.

Summary

The Range_e is hugely impressive for its economy, emissions and the way it doesn't ask the driver to forfeit any of the usual Range Rover Sport attributes. There are some rough edges to the prototype, but this is to be expected from a development vehicle. More importantly, if this is the future of Land Rover's vehicles, it shows the seriously capable 4x4 SUV is set to be with us for a very long time to come.