Range Rover Sport P510e test drive: half electric, all Range Rover

But whatever demographic you have, you probably still want to be more sustainable. At Land Rover they have understood this and the Range Rover Sport has since been available as a plug-in hybrid version. We started with a 510-strong mastodon.

Range Rover Sport P510e

The new Ranger Rover Sport has received cosmetic changes inside and out. The rear lights look flat, what a minimalist look he gives. The handles are hidden in the door and only come out when you close the lock. But luckily the most important thing remains the same: it still looks like a Range Rover Sport. Angular, chunky, the holy-what-is-coming-to-methe feeling is still there.

The interior is also worth mentioning, because everything includes luxury. The slightly curved infotainment system works very well and luckily there are still enough ‘real’ buttons to press. The chairs are wonderful and how nice it is to turn on the chair massage as well as the chair cooler on a hot day.

Economic Games

Having previously appeared in the big brother, namely the Range Rover P530, it was now the turn of the little brother, the Sport. Well, small… At about 5 meters long and 1 82 meters long it is still larger than the average mid-size car. Thanks to plug-in hybrid technology, the Range Rover Sport P510e now also has additional batteries on board, bringing the empty weight to 2810 kg. So the car is quite heavy, but the combined power of 510 hp more than compensates for this . It feels unwieldy, you just forget that when you open the gas. You wave at everyone in your rearview mirror. Which also serves as a camera. If you have very poor visibility when reversing, press the button under the mirror and suddenly you have a camera image. Typically your angle of view is about 25 degrees wide, with the camera at least 50 degrees wide.

The best of both

Thanks to the 35 kW battery, you can drive 111 kilometers in electric mode according to the WLTP range. A return ticket Den Bosch – Utrecht should therefore be possible. If it weren’t for the fact that we never reached 111 km. The combination of the car’s weight and size does not work gracefully. About 85 km is more than realistic. So success is in hybrid driving. You start by driving slow kilometers on an EV and at higher speeds the petrol engine comes in to provide the needed support. Obviously depending on the weight of your right leg, but this makes the acceptable use of 1 to 12 quite possible. Switching from EV mode to gasoline is not completely silent. You feel a small switch, but a grouch that is important.

Save the world

The car can be placed in three positions; EV, Hybrid and Eco. With the Hybrid you have the best of both worlds, as the car will eliminate the quiet whisper in EV mode. If you run on empty or accelerate faster than the EV’s battery can handle, the car automatically switches to gasoline. Suddenly 510 hp is released which leads you (very easily) towards 242 km / h. Holland is very small at these speeds, but after a week of test driving, we can conclude that closing the gap to the front car is a piece of cake.

The most interesting option is ‘Save’. In this mode, the gasoline engine uses fuel to charge the electric battery. Not a very good idea considering current gas prices, but imagine you’re on your way to a city with zero emissions. Where you can’t enter with a petrol car or pay a fine. If you notice this on the way and your battery is empty, then you can decide to charge your car on the way and drive to the center in EV mode. Super handy.

There is no river high enough

Although Land Rover appeared as ground vehicle which will be driven to the ground, many buyers will not be so quick off the road to go Although it is indeed possible. off-road work there are many and one very cool one is the Wade Sensor. If you ever get into a heavy rain and the driveway is flooded, turn on the Wade Sensor. As you drive you can see on the display how high the water is. Everything is possible up to 90 cm high. If it goes deeper, you know you won’t make it.

Competitions

The competition doesn’t stand still either, because if you’re looking for roughly the same size and plug-in hybrid technology, Mercedes has the GLE ready for you. With seven seats it’s also a big car and with a starting price of €94,000 it’s not an option at all. The Audi SQ8 e-tron is slightly smaller and is available from €99,000. And for BMW, the X5 is also worth comparing from €96,500.

Decision

When you think of sustainability, you don’t immediately think of the Range Rover Sport. However, they have done a good job at Land Rover. They have done this by launching a plug-in hybrid that doesn’t compromise on the luxury that customers expect from the brand. Thanks to the hybrid technology, the car is more economical and the additional advantage is that you always have a space in front to park. In addition, the neighbors see you as ‘green’ and suddenly feel more sympathy for you. So you can only win with the Range Rover Sport.

2024 will be an important year for Land Rover, because then a fully electric Range Rover is expected. Maybe we should see a plug-in hybrid version as the best in between, just before we switch to EV driving for good.