Land Rover unveiled its newest engine, and it’s one that you’re not expecting: a 1.5-liter 3-cylinder engine. This becomes the cornerstone in Land Rover’s first-ever Plug-In Hybrid Vehicle (PHEV) in the form of the Range Rover Evoque P300E and Discovery Sport P300E.
The low friction, lightweight engine is joined by an electric rear axle motor giving it a total of 309 horsepower and 540 Nm of torque (the internal combustion engine alone delivers 200 horsepower). Together with a 15-kWh lithium-ion battery, it can run solely on electric power by up to 66 kilometers and return 71.42 km/L.
According to Land Rover, the Range Rover Evoque goes from 0-100 km/h in 6.1 seconds, while for the Discovery Sport, the figure stands at 6.6 seconds. In both cases, it can use electric power at speeds up to 135 km/h.
For those who still go off-road, these PHEVs are designed to take some punishment. With new Premium Transverse Architecture designed to accommodate a plug-in variant from the get-go, the battery is protected by a 6-mm steel under tray. Furthermore, it’s packaged beneath the cabin floor without compromising interior space.
The placement even improves dynamics, lowering its center of gravity by 6 percent and further optimizing the front-rear weight distribution.
The engine is mated to a new 8-speed automatic. Not only is it lighter than the 9-speed gearbox used in other models, but it’s specifically designed to match the PHEV’s power and torque delivery.
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