Car review: Range Rover P400e PHEV

A plug-in petrol hybrid, its batteries can be charged from the mains in two hours and 45 minutes and when it drives along, it automatically switches between petrol and electric, eking out its electric reserves, unless the driver overrides this.

It’s still fast, still powerful. Its claimed top speed is 137mph and it sprints from 0-60mph in just 6.4 seconds - aided with superb traction from the vehicle’s legendary four-wheel-drive system.

On the road it is - of course - highly refined, even if the four-cylinder petrol engine doesn’t boast the refinement of the larger engines, when revved hard. At most speeds - and in any power mode - it is impressively silent.

In fact it’s so quiet when in electric-only mode, that the clever people at Land Rover have opted to make it extra-safe. How? To avoid people stepping in front when they don’t hear it coming, they’ve engineered in a low rumbling sound at speeds of up to 30kph, from a speaker concealed behind the front bumper, to ‘announce’ its impending arrival.

Cleverer still, they got in touch with the Guide Dogs charity, and asked them to ascertain that it was within the hearing frequency for a dog, to ensure that the partially-sighted would have the same level of protection.

Inside, it is remarkably sound-free as you ease the automatic into Drive and roll away. On the car’s launch, manufacturers Land Rover arranged for us to tackle a series of off-road sections - including fording a lake - in the sprawling grounds of Blenheim Palace.

Despite very muddy conditions and despite its extra weight from the battery, the car performed well - just as it did on-road. Impressively, you can’t tell when this Range Rove is switching from petrol to electric, and back again, as you glide around in traffic.

It might not be the most involving of Range Rovers to drive but it is the very height of four-by-four luxury with its impeccable ride, great turn of speed, superb vision out while the seating is about as comfortable as car seating can be.

A little more lateral support on the seating wouldn’t go amiss on bendier roads but most owners will be happiest when wafting along in silence, and won’t be tearing around bends, in the first place.

Its official fuel economy figure is 101 mpg - although if you’re tackling long journeys and relying more heavily on the petrol side of things, the real figure will be substantially lower. However additional benefits come in the form of the first year of vehicle excise duty, pegged to just £15, compared with £1,200 for the closest-performing diesel Range Rover. There’s also the potential monthly tax saving of around £830 for company car drivers.

The interior - with its twin screens, acres of leather and impeccable finish - is a very nice place to be indeed. Many top hotels aren’t well furnished. You’ll want to stay there.

Will it catch on? It seems so, with Land Rover claiming that 20 per cent of pre-orders for the 2018 Range Rover are for the super-silent PHEV.

Details: Range Rover P400e PHEV

Price: from £86,965

Engine: 2-litre petrol turbo plus 85 Kw electric motor

Top speed: 137 mph

0-60 mph: 6.4 seconds

Emissions: 64 g/km

Consumption: 101 mpg (claimed)