The 2019 Range Rover Sport P400e Isn’t Afraid Of Dipping Into The Sea

Range Rover celebrated the debut of the facelifted Sport by pitting it against two open-water swimmers, in an unusual race that kind of reminds us of the old Top Gear.

For this challenge, the automaker wanted the SUV to arrive at Burgh Island, from Bantham Beach, in South Devon, UK, before former open-water swimming world champion Kerri-anne Payne, and athlete adventurer Ross Edgley.

Now, this wouldn’t normally pose a threat for the new P400e PHEV version of the 2019 Range Rover Sport, and its 404PS (398hp) and 640Nm (472lb-ft) of torque, but it encountered roads flooded by the tide.

In order to make the race more challenging, the SUV used its zero-emission mode through the tiny villages along its route, and eventually reached the beach just as the tide covered the sand that links the island to the mainland.

You’ll have to check out the short film that follows to find out if it finished the race before its human competitors, who highlighted the extreme nature of the challenge, in a few words.

“I’ve competed around the world, but I’ve never done anything quite like this. With a strong tide, I was having to try really hard to stay ahead of the Range Rover Sport – not what I usually see over my shoulder when I’m racing”, said Keri-anne Payne.

“I’m used to extreme challenges, and this certainly fits into that category. The waves were so powerful, I could see the Range Rover Sport was being buffeted around in the water, but it still made short work of the rising tide across the causeway to Burgh Island”, added Ross Edgley.