It seems that the Land Rover brand is known by three main qualities — outstanding off-road capability, sumptuous luxury, and atrocious fuel economy. Ever since the original Range Rover debuted in 1970, the brand has been increasing engine displacement alongside curb weight that have an adverse affect on the fuel economy. Case in point – the 2012 Range Rover had fuel economy of 12 city, 18 highway. Not impressive.
But many owners simply swallowed their fuel economy complaints because of the cars’ capability. Now, however, a senior Land Rover executive has confirmed that a diesel hybrid engine choice is on its way to US-spec Range Rovers, a previously Euro-only option.
A 3.0-liter turbo V6 diesel paired with an efficient electric motor will provide the power for this gas-sipping Range Rover. Total output will be 355 horsepower, with 308 horsepower coming from the combustion engine and 47 horsepower from the electric motor, along with a massive 516 lb.-ft. of torque. Despite the 264 extra pounds that the hybrid system will add over the standard Range Rover, Land Rover estimates that the hybrid will still make a 0-60 MPH run of 6.9 seconds.
Most impressive, however, is the system’s fuel economy. In an official EU test, the new Range Rover garnered a whopping 44 mpg combined, even despite the full-time 4WD system. An eight-speed ZF transmission will carry over from the standard Range Rover, helping to maintain these lofty numbers.
Jaguar-Land Rover has also confirmed that this same powerplant will be available in the lighter Range Rover Sport, allowing for even more impressive acceleration numbers. Interestingly, when asked about the introduction of the hybrid powerplant, Jaguar-Land Rover USA CEO Andy Goss remarked, “It’s not a matter of ‘if,’ but ‘when.'” The company has given no indication of “when,” but we’ll likely see the diesel hybrid Range Rover on dealer lots within the next year.
Please enjoy this TFLcar.com “everything you ever wanted to know” review of the 2013 Range Rover.
