Land Rover is gearing up to introduce the all-new Defender, but one of the firm’s most iconic models is about to celebrate its seventh anniversary.
We’re of course talking about the fourth-generation Range Rover which debuted in 2012. While the model received a facelift for 2018, the luxury SUV hasn’t changed too much. However, the segment has and the Range Rover is facing an assortment of new competitors including everything from the BMW X7 to the Bentley Bentayga.
Despite the onslaught on new competition, the Range Rover has managed to hold its own as US sales hit a record of 19,030 units last year. Land Rover wants that trend to continue and it appears an all-new Range Rover is on the horizon.
According to Autocar, the fifth-generation Range Rover is slated to debut in 2021 and ride on the company’s new Modular Longitudinal Architecture. The latter is aluminum intensive and promises to be significantly lighter than the current architecture. More importantly, the MLA platform has been designed to accommodate plug-in hybrid and electric powertrains.
Given this, it’s not too surprising to learn the next-generation Range Rover will offer an assortment of eco-friendly powertrains. Nothing is official, but there will reportedly be a mild hybrid variant that uses a turbocharged and supercharged straight-six engine. It will reportedly offer outputs ranging from approximately 300 hp (224 kW / 304 PS) to 400 hp (298 kW / 406 PS).
Also Read: 2018 Range Rover Facelift Unveiled With New Plug-in Hybrid Variant
The report also says there will be a plug-in hybrid variant which uses a straight-six engine and an electric motor on each axle. There’s no word on specifications, but the model could have an electric-only range of approximately 40 miles (64 km).
An electric version is also rumored, but little is known about it. However, the report suggests the model will be targeted at city dwellers in Asia.
There’s no word on what the new Range Rover will look like, but it wouldn’t be surprising if the model adopted an evolutionary design that takes some cues from the newer Evoque and Velar. If this is the case, we can expect sleeker styling and retractable door handles. There should also be a more luxurious interior with updated technology.
