The Range Sport Dynamic HSE PHEV(Plug-In Hybrid) Review
In 2023, the European Parliament approved a climate package that seen manufactures move to cleaner energy by 2035 – a small feet for some and a move to be more innovative for others. This opportunity saw Jaguar/Land Rover throwing on their thinking caps on for the plug-in hybrid Range Sport Dynamic HSE, in such the manufacture wanted to deem this model to continue attracting customers who wanted a more premium off-road capable SUV that still retain the luxury elements that started from the Range Stormer concept days.
I have a bit of a reservation when it comes to plug-in hybrids; I genuinely think they ‘feel’ heavier to drive that their combustion alternatives, they tend to have a slightly compromised undercarriage barring that space needed to be made for the battery pack, let alone the range on the battery doesn’t seem to last that long and they take a long while to charge(considering that most models on the road use AC to charge the batteries) – but these are my general thoughts with the limited plug-in hybrids I have experienced. The Range Rover Sport Dynamic HSE, however, tackles these points in the most sophisticated way possible in my books.
The Range Sport Dynamic HSE makes use of both diesel engine and electric motors to deliver both a comfortable drive(especially for those long drives out of town) while keeping efficiency in mind and a practical one aswell. The 3.0L turbo diesel has a lower travel range as would the ‘normal’ turbo diesel in terms of fuel range, but that is warranted as slightly smaller fuel tank would need to be placed in conjunction to the battery pack. This did, however pose a question as I did see that the undercarriage on the PHEV was not as low as the diesel variant – purely because these battery packs are big and the can’t give the same clearance as on the latter model.
Nonetheless, this did not compromise the PHEV Range Sport Dynamic HSE as we still noted that it was still capable when driving off-road as it would on the road – one would need to take note as to not take it on the Cape Rally Route as a precaution though, I wouldn’t want to imagine that battery pack dropping in the midst of all that heavy off-roading.
Speaking of off-roading, the car still retains world class suspension in its dynamic air suspension that adapts faster to the road conditions that I chose to imagine really. The dynamic driving ranges also made it easier for our drives between back-roads and the odd drive on the beach, in which I feel like the car handled itself quiet well in both conditions.
One of the biggest ‘party tricks’ was the drive from Langebaan back to Cape Town on just the electric power. Now, it’s no feet that we could have let the 3.0L turbo diesel put down its 350kW at full might, but that was beside the point of our test – we wanted to see if we can make the trip on a single charge. And the verdict is yes, quiet well in fact. The regeneration from the drive allowed us to also get some power back into the batteries and the diesel engine was very much ready to kick in at a moment’s notice if we ever needed that extra boost of power. The best part is there is hardly any lag when needing the power to switch between combustion and electric and the process is handled seamless.
The biggest plus is the fact that this plug-in hybrid makes use of a DC charging point to charge the battery, meaning that there is no long waits at the charging station while waiting to drive in full-EV mode.
I genuinely enjoyed how the cabin space didn’t feel cramped, as one would expect from Land Rover but took note of how minimal the instruments have been laid out in the front. The climate control has been fully integrated into the infotainment system, which holds some reservation from my side considering the effects of driver & passenger fights that brew due to the constant squabbles for the infotainment.
Outside of that, I could say that the addition of the instrument cluster has been done quite well, in the same “clean look”.
The Range Rover Sport might pack on a bit more weight due to the hybrid system that has been implemented into the car and, on paper, the travel range does not compare as opposed to the full combustion engine but this experience did teach me that I should not hold on to the numbers on paper as opposed to the real world experience. The economy is slightly better when taking long distance travel into consideration and no space is compromised in the same breath. I do feel like it’s a great consideration for anyone looking to maximise of economy while keeping into the Land rover/Range Rover stable.
Would I get one? I probably would, even with the slight producing electric motor that disadvantages the car a bit – I mean, there’s no expectation that I would do hectic off-roading in any Range Rover Sport to begin with. But I also do believe that the PHEV would still be capable if given the chance.
