Elegant + Powerful + Efficient
Editor’s Note: Land Rover part of JLR is embarking on what it calls “reimagination,” entailing a new focus on three “families”—Range Rover, Defender and Discovery. Each family will be adding full electric siblings, but at the end of 2023 still has its wheels firmly planted in the internal combustion world with the plug-in hybrid (PHEV) its furthest current reach into electrification. John had a chance to sample two Range Rovers which offer views of the different stages of electrification. This is the PHEV; you can find the turbocharged and supercharger mild hybrid review here.
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It can be a bit confusing that Range Rover is a Land Rover model, because the Range Rover over the past 40 or so years has nearly become its own brand. Its popularity, due to on- and off-road versatility, plus classic British looks, has made it a go-to for those who want to be seen, but not in a show-off kind of way. In my area of Orange County, California, it seems the Range Rover is the official vehicle of Newport Beach and Corona del Mar. An exaggeration? Go there on any given day and see for yourself.
Propulsion Options
The 2023 Range Rover has four engine options—a choice of two mild hybrids, a V8 and what we drove, a plug-in hybrid (PHEV). All models have all-wheel drive (AWD) with the power sent through an 8-speed automatic transmission with paddle shifters.
The Range Rover Sport PHEV has a 3.0-liter turbocharged inline 6-cylinder engine producing 434 horsepower and 516 pound feet of torque. The 8-speed automatic transmission drives all four wheels, with a two-speed transfer case for low gear off-roading.
Smooth, Powerful, Efficient
Plug-in hybrid engine technology uses a 105-kW electric motor in conjunction with the gasoline engine, but unlike a traditional hybrid, it can run solely on electricity. The EPA rates the Range Rover’s all-electric range (AER) at 51 miles with a full charge of the 38.2 kWh battery. Charge times are:
Level 1 – 6 hours at 120V
Level 2 – 2 hours at 240V
Level 3 – to 80% in less than an hour at 50-kW
Clean Fleet Report spent a week in a 2023 Range Rover Sport Autobiography PHEV with driver-selectable drive modes of Eco, Comfort, Grass/Gravel/Snow and Dynamic, with the last being our favorite for zippy performance, followed by Comfort for freeway and in-town driving.
Using 91 octane fuel, the 3.0-liter PHEV is rated at 21 mpg combinimg gasoline and electricity. Over 161 Southern California miles of more city than highway driving, our combined average was 24.9 mpg, which was a nice surprise for such a powerful engine and the nearly three-ton (5,860-pound) curb weight.
With a full battery charge, we toggled between the four efficiency modes of Hybrid, EV, Save and Low to help us match the impressive 51 AER figure, which is excellent for a luxury SUV. Fuel economy numbers reported by Clean Fleet Report are non-scientific and represent the reviewer’s driving experience using the dash gauge computer. Your numbers may differ.
A turbocharged engine mated to an electric motor is something to enjoy, and the way Range Rover has tuned this combination has eliminated any turbo-lag, or hesitation, when accelerating from a stop. Selecting the Dynamic drive mode presents a pleasant exhaust note for spirited acceleration delivering 0-60 mph times consistently in the 4.5 second range. The paddle shifters produced quick shifts and were fun to play with, but the 8-speed automatic was plenty to satisfy enthusiastic driving. Engaging the Adaptive Dynamics feature adjusts the steering, transmission shift points and throttle response for the best performance.
The rear-wheel biased Intelligent All-Wheel Drive system can vary the torque front-to-rear and side-to side based on driving conditions. Torque vectoring through braking helps distribute torque to the wheel in most need for extra grip.
Off-road driving, which we did not have the opportunity to test, has the Terrain Response 2 system which includes four driver-selectable drive modes (mud/ruts, rock/crawl, sand and wade), adaptive off-road cruise control for low speed driving, low traction launch and hill descent control. There is even a front camera that shows up in the Settings/Views on the center touchscreen to allow you to see what danger lies ahead when off-road driving.
The on-pavement handling is stiff but with a comfortable ride. The electric power assist steering, that adjusts based on the drive mode, is part of the suspension that includes electronic traction control, dynamic and roll stability and all-wheel torque vectoring.
The Pirelli Scorpion Zero 285/45 all-season tires, mounted on 22-inch 10-spoke alloy wheels, were quiet and handled well. Stopping was through an electronically controlled brake system that incorporates power-assisted four-wheel disc brakes with ABS and regenerative braking that replenishes the battery when slowing or braking. It all contributed to that excellent all-electric range without using a drop of gasoline.
Classy and Elegant
The two-row, five-passenger 2023 Range Rover Sport Autobiography PHEV exterior is smooth and classy, and our test model finished in Varesine Blue ($710 option) was a head-turner.
The distinctive narrow upper grille, sporting a small ‘Land Rover’ badge, is framed by the slim LED headlights and the subtle R-A-N-G-E R-O-V-E-R lettering that softly welcomes you to the sculpted hood. The side view is clean with power flush, color-keyed door handles and no chrome or cladding. Black B, C and D pillars are nearly invisible against the dark tinted privacy glass.
The sweptback windshield seamlessly leads to the roof that is finished off with a sliding panoramic sunroof and dual color-keyed shark fin antennas. It ends at the visor over the power lift gate. The rear has slim LED tail lights that sit high above the twin rectangular chrome exhaust tips. If you want even more classy, the rear wiper has been tucked under the visor, resulting an unobstructed view for the driver and a clean palette design.
The results are aerodynamics with a reported 0.29 coefficient of drag in a design that quietly screams ‘you have made it.’
Premium Interior
The high-end interior has premium materials and soft touch surfaces, with elements of micro-suede, dark tinted chrome, piano black and the choice of textile or leather seating surfaces. Our interior color was in Raven Blue and Ebony with the optional ($1,400) full non-leather perforated Ultrafabric ventilated front seats that are power adjustable with heat, cooling and memory. The heated 60/40 rear seat power reclines.
The Range Rover Sport has 8.5-inches of ground clearance, but for ease of entering and exiting, the air suspension can be set to lower the ride height.
The non-leather-wrapped ($300 option) tilt and telescopic steering wheel has controls for audio, hands-free Bluetooth telephone operation and the adaptive cruise control. The interactive driver display has high-definition graphics clearly displaying the vehicle operation information.
The centerpiece of the cockpit is the curved, floating 13.1-inch high-definition touchscreen housing the controls for navigation and entertainment. The Meridian surround sound system includes AM/FM radio, SiriusXM, Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, Amazon Alexa, multiple USB ports, Wi-Fi and wireless phone charging.
As part of the Cold Climate Package ($640 option) there is a heated windshield and headlight washer jets, and a heated steering wheel. The four-zone climate control has an air quality sensor with cabin air ionization. Our Range Rover had a standard head-up display, ambient lighting, carpeted mats, rain sensing windshield wipers, Homelink auto-dimming rear view mirror, keyless entry, and push button and remote start.
Safety and Convenience
The 2023 Range Rover Sport safety systems include six airbags, dynamic stability control, traction control, and anti-lock brakes with emergency baking, electronic brake-force distribution and cornering brake control. The surround camera, blind spot and rear traffic monitors and lane keep assist. The adaptive cruise control with steering assist worked well on the freeway.
Convenience features included power folding heated exterior mirrors with nighttime approach lights, tire pressure monitor and auto hold.
Pricing
The 2023 Range Rover Sport Autobiography PHEV Clean Fleet Report drove had a base price of $104,200. Including the mandatory $1,475 destination and delivery charge and $3,910 in options, the final MSRP was $109,585.
Warranties
Powertrain – Four years/50,000 miles
Emissions – Eight years/80,000 miles
New Vehicle – Four years/50,000 miles
Roadside Assistance – Four years/50,000 miles
Corrosion Perforation – Six years/Unlimited miles
Observations: 2023 Ranger Rover Sport Autobiography Plug-In Hybrid
Range Rover took its luxury SUV, with a reputation for elegance, status and an upper crust image, to the next level by giving it a 51-mile all-electric driving range. How far do you drive every day? Certainly not 51 miles, so this means your gasoline bill will be reduced significantly – maybe to nearly nothing.
There is more to the Range Rover than can be included here, so go to their website to configure and personalize yours.
Story by John Faulkner. Photos by John Faulkner and Range Rover.
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Disclosure:
Clean Fleet Report is loaned free test vehicles from automakers to evaluate, typically for a week at a time. Our road tests are based on this one-week drive of a new vehicle. Because of this we don’t address issues such as long-term reliability or total cost of ownership. In addition, we are often invited to manufacturer events highlighting new vehicles or technology. As part of these events we may be offered free transportation, lodging or meals. We do our best to present our unvarnished evaluations of vehicles and news irrespective of these inducements.
Our focus is on vehicles that offer the best fuel economy in their class, which leads us to emphasize electric cars, plug-in hybrids, hybrids and diesels. We also feature those efficient gas-powered vehicles that are among the top mpg vehicles in their class. In addition, we aim to offer reviews and news on advanced technology and the alternative fuel vehicle market. We welcome any feedback from vehicle owners and are dedicated to providing a forum for alternative viewpoints. Please let us know your views at publisher@cleanfleetreport.com.
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