Fifth-generation of the luxury SUV the Range Rover due in Singapore in 2022, will have mild, plug-in hybrids, and a full electric versions

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Coventry, UK – The fifth-generation of the luxury large SUV, the Range Rover, has been announced by the eponymous brand.

The Range Rover will be available in long and short wheelbase variants, and with a seven-seat option for the first time. There will also be a choice of powertrains on a spectrum from regular gasoline engines to mild and plug-in hybrid, and fully electric. The car is due in Singapore some time next year, but there is no confirmation on which drivetrains will be available here just yet. 

The car’s design, as with the fourth-gen model, is evolutionary and it’s immediately recognisable as The Range Rover, especially from the side with a blacked-out glasshouse sitting atop the rectangular body square.  

But the new model emphasises the clean lines and squared-off shapes even further. For example, look down the sides of the car where there are no protrusions (thanks in part to retractable door handles), and the front which has all of its oblong details (like the grille and lights) set onto a single, monolithic plane. 

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The car runs on an entirely new platform, MLA Flex, which presumably replaces JLR’s old MLA platform. As before, there are regular and long-wheelbase versions, and customers will be able to spec seven-seats with the latter car. 

The standard wheelbase car is 5,052 x 2047 x 1870  (mm, length x width x height)  with a 2997mm wheelbase, while the long wheelbase model is 5,252 x 2,047 x 1,870 (mm, length x width x height) with a 3,197mm wheelbase. 

Interior

The clean, minimalist aesthetic extends to the interior. We see recognisable parts from the latest JLR models such as the new gearshifter and lovely-looking Pivi Pro infotainment system (JLR’s largest to date), but this being the Range Rover you can expect a higher level of fit and finish in the cabin. 

A standout here is that the car is available in Vegan High Spec for the first time: You can option Kvadrat, a plastic, wool-like material which Range Rover says ‘has all the tactile qualities of leather’ but is 30 percent lighter and saves 75 percent on CO2 emissions. The floormats are also made of Econyl, a recycled plastic material which we first saw on the Audi E-Tron GT. 

The Pivi Pro infotainment screen and the driver’s instrument display are amongst the largest around – at 13.1-inches and 13.7-inches respectively –  naturally there’s Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, but also Amazon Alexa integration too. Like other luxury carmaker’s infotainment systems, the new system will have onboard 4G connectivity and over-the-air (OTA) updates. 

The rear sees the classic split-tailgate preserved, with some modern additions: There’s a new ‘Tailgate Event Suite’ with a backrest and cushions, audio and lighting for those who want to elevate their tailgate parties. 

2021 Range Rover powertrain variants 

At the international announcement, Range Rover indicated there are eight drivetrain options at launch. As above, there are three diesel versions, all mild hybrid enabled, but these are unlikely to come to Singapore. 

The remaining five are gasoline engine variants, with two PHEV (plug-in hybrid), two mild hybrid, and one gasoline-only variant. As for the fully-electric model, Range Rover hasn’t revealed any specs but has confirmed that it will be making one for full production/sale. 

Abroad, the PHEV models will get the closest scrutiny: Both P440e and P510e have a 31.8kWh (nett) lithium battery located in the floor, and this drives a 150kW electric traction motor. In full electric drive mode, the PHEVs can travel up to 140km/h, with a predicted ‘real world’ e-range of 80km. 

Surprisingly, the PHEV models will have DC fast charge capability, of up to 50kW, which makes for an 80 percent charge in less than an hour. Home charging, at 7.2kW, will take around five hours. 

However, with PHEVs growing less quickly than regular hybrids and fully electric cars, we think the mild hybrid versions will be the bigger sellers in Singapore. 

The two mild hybrid gasoline versions – dubbed P360 and P400 – have a similar drivetrain to what we’ve seen on the Land Rover Defender 110 – there’s a 3.0-litre turbo inline six at the heart of things. But there’s also an electric supercharger (to reduce turbo lag) that’s made possible by the 48V mild hybrid system, which also has a small battery to store energy from the belt-driven starter/generator, which also gives a small boost to takeoff torque. 

Dynamics 

Range Rover says the new platform, which is up to 50 percent stiffer than before, allows a big leap forward in performance.

Good offroad performance has also been prioritised, naturally. All of the new Range Rover variants have an eight-speed ZF automatic transmission with a selectable low/high range mode, and intelligent all-wheel drive (what the brand calls iAWD) – it monitors traction constantly at 100Hz, and can decouple the front axle for better efficiency. For more traction, there’s also torque vectoring by individual wheel braking, and both an Electronic Active Differential, as well as an Active Locking Rear Differential.

All-wheel steering deliver a small turning circle and greater overall agility, while there’s also a new Dynamic Response Pro active roll control system (made possible by the 48V electronics) which helps on-road handling. The car’s suspension system is a new electronically-controlled air suspension by Bilstein. It’s supervised by Adaptive Dynamics, the system which calculates optimal suspension settings by monitoring road conditions at up to 500Hz. 

Tying those myriad systems together is JLR’s driving mode system, Terrain Response 2, as debuted on the new Defender, which has modes for on-road (Comfort, Dynamic, Eco) and off-road (Grass/Gravel/Snow, Mud & Ruts, Sand, Rock Crawl and Wade). 

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