Jaguar Land Rover unveils its first hybrid – the new Range Rover Sport

It comes just weeks after the company unveiled its plan to make electric versions of all new cars produced after 2020.

Although an all-electric Jaguar, the E-Pace, is due to go on sale next year the new Range Rover Sport is the first plug-in hybrid from the West Midlands-based luxury carmaker.

The new model will also come with Ingenium petrol and diesel engines made at JLR's i54 factory in Wolverhampton. The hybrid will operate with an Ingenium petrol engine and JLR says it will offer fuel economy of up to 101 miles per gallon.

Running on just electric power it would have range of 31 miles, and the combined hybrid will have ultra-low CO2 emissions of just 64g/km.

But it will still deliver 0-60mph in 6.3 seconds and a maximum speed of 137mph.

As befits a Range Rover, the new Sport will also come packed with the latest consumer technology including an advanced twin high-definition touchscreen infotainment system

While prices for the new range will start at £61,315 on the road, the P400e plug-in hybrid electric model starts from £70,800.

Like its predecessors, the Range Rover Sport will be built at the company's factory in Solihull.

Jaguar Land Rover UK managing director, Jeremy Hicks said: “These 2018 updates make the Range Rover Sport an even more attractive proposition with CO2 emissions down to 64g/km and a 101mpg on the combined cycle coupled with new infotainment technology making life simpler. Our efficient diesel and petrol engines are our cleanest ever and remain utterly relevant today on our journey to electrification.”

The company claims that for the first time Land Rover customers can experience zero-emission, near silent off-road luxury with "uncompromised all-terrain capability" and allowing entry into areas with restrictions for air quality, including most congestion charging zones.

Nick Collins, vehicle line director at Jaguar Land Rover, said: "The new Range Rover Sport strikes a compelling balance between dynamic capability, passenger comfort and efficiency. The introduction of our advanced plug-in hybrid powertrain is a watershed moment in the history of our performance SUV.”

The P400e combines a 300hp (221kW) two-litre four-cylinder Ingenium petrol engine with an 85kW electric motor, powered by a 13.1kWh high-voltage lithium-ion battery.

To make the most of space and maintain balance, the Ingenium petrol engine is longitudinally mounted, with the 85kW electric motor housed on the transmission at the centre of the vehicle along with the 7kW on-board charger. The access point for the cable is hidden behind the Land Rover badge on the right of the front grille, while the 13k.1Wh prism-shaped lithium-ion battery is mounted at the rear beneath the boot floor.

On rapid charge, the battery can be powered up in as little as two hours and 45 minutes at home using a dedicated or 32amp wall box. The battery seven hours 30 minutes to charge using the 10 amp home charging cable supplied as standard.