Land Rover has unveiled a new variant of its popular Range Rover SUV, the Range Rover Hybrid Long-Wheelbase. The new model made its debut at the 2014 Beijing Auto Show this week and will start sales in select markets later this year. Unfortunately, the list of markets doesn’t include the U.S. but we’ll still get the Range Rover Long-Wheelbase with a regular V-8.
The hybrid system offered in the Range Rover Hybrid Long-Wheelbase is a diesel-electric setup, which helps explain why we’re not getting it in the U.S. (we likely have to wait until Land Rover launches a gasoline-electric hybrid Range Rover). The setup is common to the Range Rover Hybrid and Range Rover Sport Hybrid models already on sale overseas, and pairs a turbocharged 3.0-liter V-6 diesel engine with an electric motor integrated with a ZF eight-speed automatic.
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Peak output of the system is 335 horsepower and 516 pound-feet of torque, with the latter generated from as low as 1,500 rpm. Land Rover estimates fuel economy to be 36.75 mpg for the European combined cycle. In addition, the vehicle can travel at speeds of up to 30 mph on electric power alone for a range of up to one mile before the diesel engine seamlessly restarts.
The beauty of the system is that it adds less than 265 pounds to the weight of the vehicle, and it doesn’t impede any of the Range Rover’s off-roading capability. The Range Rover Hybrid Long-Wheelbase still gets standard all-wheel drive, Land Rover’s Terrain Response off-roading system and class-leading wading depth of 35 inches.
For more from the 2014 Beijing Auto Show, head to our dedicated hub.
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