Range Rover Sport Electric: Tuned for visceral dynamism
More dynamic, more responsive and available to order with fully electric propulsion for the first time, Range Rover Sport Electric begins a new chapter of sporting luxury for the performance SUV.
Uniquely tuned to reward drivers, with a suite of advanced chassis technologies, Range Rover Sport Electric offers further enhanced visceral performance and the rewarding dynamics expected from Range Rover Sport, alongside the same unmistakably muscular form, peerless refinement and all-terrain capability.
Martin Limpert, Managing Director, Range Rover, said: “Range Rover Sport is the most dynamic expression of Range Rover. With Range Rover Sport Electric we’re taking that spirit of visceral engagement and desire into the electric age. It is first and foremost a Range Rover Sport. The seamlessly-integrated electric propulsion system means we’ve been able to unlock new levels of responsiveness and precision, with a uniquely tuned chassis set-up, performance-focused torque delivery, and distinctive sound profiles that ensure our clients enjoy the very best driver engagement in a sporting luxury SUV.”
To mark this pivotal moment in its over 20-year history, Range Rover Sport Electric proved its enhanced dynamic abilities on a final test between 914-metre peaks of open-air Carrara marble quarries in Italy, continuing its legacy of pioneering performance-based challenges. Range Rover Sport has previously ascended the 4,3-km Pikes Peak Hill Climb in record time, successfully climbed the 999 steps to Heaven’s Gate in China and scaled an Icelandic spillway.
To crest the Gioia Peak, which sits atop the most expensive marble in the world, Range Rover Sport Electric endured extreme temperatures, gradients of up to 45 degrees and ever-changing conditions on some of the most challenging surfaces in the world: the perfect environment to verify Range Rover Sport’s renowned all-terrain dynamic capabilities.
Range Rover Sport Electric features uniquely tuned Intelligent Traction Management, virtual all-wheel drive, Dynamic Air Suspension and electronic Active Roll Control (eARC) 1 – which can apply up to 1,400Nm of force across each axle for maximum composure at all times – as well as Twin Valve Dampers and Adaptive Dynamics 2, which monitors 100 parameters 500 times per second to provide greater control of body roll and pitch when cornering and braking.
The combination of these advanced technologies ensured absolute command over the unpredictable Carrara surfaces, which ranged from polished marble to deep coatings of fine marble dust. All-Wheel Steering1 enabled Range Rover Sport Electric to sweep through the mine’s tight hairpin turns without the need to reverse.
To conquer the sheer slopes, Range Rover Sport Electric deployed its 850Nm of torque, the most of any Range Rover Sport. Torque ramps up 50 per cent faster than Range Rover Electric. The 404kW powertrain, with performance to match the P530 V8-powered Range Rover Sport (0-100km/h in as little as 4.3 seconds) when Dynamic Launch Mode is engaged, then accelerated the near-silent performance SUV to the top of its electric climb.
This was the final stop on the vehicle’s global testing and development progamme, which also included the Magarigawa Club’s private track near Tokyo, Japan, for the first time. In addition to tuning the unique chassis setup, Range Rover’s engineers developed the sound of Range Rover Sport Electric to emphasise its driving character. Its sound design layers simple tones that blur the lines between music and engineering. The distinctive acoustic signature encourages drivers to engage with the various drive modes of Range Rover Sport Electric.
Matt Becker, Vehicle Engineering Director, Range Rover, said: “Range Rover Sport Electric represents an evolution in the dynamic character of Range Rover Sport, with an even greater emphasis on driver engagement and sporting response. The stiffer architecture and lower centre of gravity, combined with precise torque control and advanced chassis technologies, creates a vehicle with sharper responses, greater agility and increased confidence. It feels smaller, more planted and more responsive than you would imagine. All without sacrificing refinement, comfort or breadth of capability.”
The first ever all-electric Range Rover Sport, which has a 61 per cent stiffer body structure and 73mm lower centre of gravity than Range Rover Sport plug-in electric hybrid (PHEV) models, will be built in Solihull, UK, on the same production lines as PHEV, petrol and diesel versions. It is powered by a 118.5kWh lithium-ion battery with high-power density in a high-strength aluminium enclosure, and features two 260kW electric motors, all seamlessly incorporated into the MLA-Flex architecture. An advanced 800V electrical architecture provides fast, adaptable split-charging capability.
Range Rover Sport Electric is built to withstand high impacts, while advanced safety features exceed industry standards. To help maximise the safety and quality of the battery, JLR’s new battery testing laboratory subjects live batteries to extreme multi-axis vibration and shock testing in -40°C to +90°C.
Range Rover Sport Electric was developed in parallel with Range Rover Electric and includes a raft of innovations and new technologies such as ThermAssistTM heat management, which maximises its electric potential. Range Rover Sport Electric clients can have confidence in a WLTP range3 of up to609km and a real-world range5 of up to 535 kilometres, providing sufficient range for many drivers to complete their daily journeys without the need to recharge2.
Away from home, using rapid DC public chargers, Range Rover Sport Electric can add up to 220km of driving range in as little as 10 minutes, or charge from 10-80 per cent in around 22 minutes2. Effortless charging functionality is included in the new Range Rover App, where clients can locate and schedule charging as well as explore the world of Range Rover. An elegant home charger ensures every journey begins with a full charge.
An aerodynamically-optimised grille and alloy wheel designs are the exterior signifiers for Range Rover Sport Electric – their efficient designs contribute up to 16 extra kilometres of driving range at motorway speeds3.
Order books are now open for Range Rover Sport Electric, available in Dynamic SE, Dynamic HSE, Autobiography and First Edition specifications. An optional Black Pack and Satin Wrap add an even more stealthy appeal. The curated First Edition is finished in Zadar Grey with Satin Wrap, with black contrast roof and 22-inch alloy wheels.
Range Rover Sport Electric Autobiography clients are also eligible for the Range Rover Bespoke commissioning service, offering an extended choice of near-limitless paint colours, configuration combinations, elevated material finishes and personalisation – including unique embroidery – to create a truly individual Range Rover Sport Electric.
For serviceability and maintenance, each Range Rover Sport Electric comes with a Battery Digital Twin which allows Range Rover to proactively maintain clients’ vehicles via JLR’s leading Software Over the Air capability6. Range Rover Sport Electric’s battery comes with an eight-year or 160,000-km warranty7.
The new Range Rover Sport Electric is priced from R 3,291,100 for the Range Rover Sport AWD EV 405kW EV550 Dynamic SE, and R 3,609,200 for the range-topping Range Rover Sport AWD EV 405kW EV550 First Edition.
*Information provided by the publicist.
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