Range Rover has only shared camouflaged prototype pictures for now, as the GT is supposedly still undergoing final testing, ahead of a full launch expected later this year. That means details on this completely new model are scant to say the least: no price, no range, and no power figures have been disclosed. As for a release date, Range Rover confirmed the GT hits the road in 2027.
What is evident from the camo images is the GT's sleek silhouette and coupé proportions, more typically associated with Range Rover's sister brand, Jaguar, than with the marque known for its commitment to SUVs. Both companies sit below the parent company, JLR (formerly spelled out as Jaguar Land Rover).
In a statement, Martin Limpert, global managing director at Range Rover, says the Range Rover GT is intended to “redefine the grand-touring segment” with its “GT poise, proportions and long-distance refinement,” adding that the EV will offer “capabilities no conventional GT can match.”
The inclusion of the word “conventional” is doing some heavy lifting. Range Rover will likely take pains in the coming months explaining how this new all-electric grand tourer isn't a direct competitor to Jaguar's new all-electric grand tourer, the hugely anticipated and polarizing Type 01, intended to signify a complete reset for Jaguar, also arriving in 2027.
“We have spent the last few years working obsessively on the fundamentals of the GT formula, reinterpreted in a sophisticated, uniquely Range Rover way,” says Limpert, adding that this GT, like its SUV stablemates, will apparently still be able to off-road. “The result is the most car-like Range Rover ever created. Its blend of effortless EV performance, first-class long-haul refinement, and all-terrain capability is pure Range Rover, while its interior previews our vision of a modern grand tourer.”
The images of the Range Rover GT interior show a clean, minimalist cabin with plenty of legroom for rear passengers, a panoramic roof, and in the front a wide, slender driver display coupled with a larger central screen. A concealed air vent runs the width of the cabin, while speakers are hidden beneath the same textile that wraps the dashboard. However, Range Rover has stuck with touchscreens for all controls, going against the auto industry trend, with what looks like no dedicated physical switchgear, even for climate control.
Directly comparing the GT's exterior and interior design with that of the coming Jaguar Type 01, it's clear there are family resemblances.
The GT will be built on JLR's EMA architecture at the company's Halewood plant in the UK, the same midsize platform that will power the next-gen replacements for the Evoque EV, the Land Rover Discovery Sport, an electric Range Rover Velar successor, and the incoming “Baby Defender.”
However, EMA is not the architecture that will be used for the incoming, larger Range Rover Electric—which will run on JLR's Modular Longitudinal Architecture (MLA) and be built in Solihull in the UK. Crucially, it's this larger MLA platform that is the base for the Jaguar Type 01. Range Rover says the GT will arrive in EV form initially, but be followed by hybrid options “later in the lifecycle” of the car. Jaguar is committed to being an electric-only brand, despite the MLA being capable of supporting mild-hybrid and full-hybrid variants.
So, are Range Rover GT and Jaguar Type 01 competing for the same customer? It's a question I put to Range Rover, and got this reply from a spokesperson: “Range Rover and Jaguar are two very different brands, and the vehicles sold under each are very different propositions. Jaguar Type 01 is an electric four-door luxury GT, while Range Rover GT is a new take on the Range Rover formula, the first vehicle to sit on the EMA platform, retaining Range Rover’s all-terrain capability.”
It's not surprising that Range Rover insists there is a significant difference between its new model and Jaguar's EV relaunch. However, it will have to reveal more on the GT to end such obvious comparisons. After all, there's no getting away from the fact that both the Range Rover and Jaguar cars are grand tourers, both launching next year, both from the same parent company, both electric, both chasing wealthy buyers who want comfort and refinement for long-distance driving over outright off-road ability.
Despite having different architectures underneath, if the highest-spec Range Rover GT ends up being priced anywhere near (or, perhaps worse, undercuts) Jaguar Type 01 territory, JLR will be, somewhat bafflingly, fielding two four-door luxury GT EVs from two of its own brands into a very similar buyer pool.
Source: Wired — This article was automatically imported from the source. Read full article at original source →
