The 2018 Range Rover Sport will be offered with a 2.0 litre Ingenium four-cylinder petrol engine (codenamed AJ200) as well as a plug-in hybrid variant that uses the all-aluminium powerplant as well (codenamed AJ200P), according to the company’s online service portal.
Currently, the SUV is available with a 2.0 litre SD4 Ingenium diesel engine, which outputs 240 hp and 500 Nm of torque; a 3.0 litre petrol V6 (340 hp and 450 Nm); and a 5.0 litre petrol V8 (550 hp and 680 Nm).
Jaguar Land Rover’s (JLR) 2.0L Ingenium petrol mill comes in two guises, a 197 hp (200 PS) version and another with 247 hp (250 PS). Although it isn’t explicitly stated on the site what will make its way to the Range Rover Sport, we reckon it will be latter simply due to the word “HIGH” seen in the list.
Similarly, detailed specifications on the plug-in hybrid variant are also absent as far as we can tell, although JLR’s Concept_e PHEV from 2015 could serve as a good indicator. The powertrain concept, which was coincidentally showcased on a Range Rover Sport, features a 296 hp (300 PS) petrol engine mated to an eight-speed transmission.
A 201 hp (150 kW) electric motor is sandwiched between the two that not only provides propulsion but also doubles as a starter motor. It draws power from a 320-volt lithium-ion battery packaged in the boot.
A prototype of what appears to be the upcoming Range Rover Sport PHEV has already been spotted by our spy photographers, which appears to feature different bumpers and a new design for the headlights. However, the heavy camouflage applied on the test mule appears to hide the SUV’s charging port, likely to keep onlookers guessing.
Aside from the Concept_e PHEV, JLR also revealed the mild hybrid Concept_e MHEV powertrain on a Range Rover Evoque, along with the Concept_e BEV, a battery electric vehicle study. The first of two introduces 48V electrical system and a 18 hp (15 kW) crank integrated motor, while the BEV sports a 70 kWh and a pair of electric motors on both axles.
All three concepts are developed in-house, and are integral in JLR’s vision for low and zero emissions beyond 2020. The powertrain research programme began in 2013, and the two-year, 16.3 million pound (RM90 million) research project is part-funded by UK’s innovation agency Innovate UK and 12 UK-based technology partners.
This isn’t the company’s first foray into hybrid technology either, as greener versions of the Range Rover and Range Rover Sport were introduced way back in 2013. At the time, the hybrid powertrain consist of a 3.0 litre SDV6 turbodiesel, a 47 hp/170 Nm electric motor and a liquid-cooled lithium-ion battery pack mounted beneath the floor of the SUV.
GALLERY: 2018 Range Rover Sport PHEV prototype spyshots
Looking to sell your car? Sell it with Carro.
finally an affordable rr sport