Few cars on Australian roads are shorthand for status quite like the full-size Range Rover. Plenty of rivals are flashier, louder, faster, and considerably more exotic, but there’s a sense of the genuine and authentic about choosing the original luxury SUV.
The Range Rover seems like such a constant that it’s hard to believe it’s only 56
years old. And now, for the first time in that history… you can choose to buy the flagship Range Rover without an engine at all.
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Thankfully, the $317K Range Rover Electric isn’t replacing existing petrol, diesel, or plug-in hybrid versions. The EV, 10 years in development, merely joins the
combustion cars, sharing the same architecture, design, and assembly line.
While burbling V8s are going precisely nowhere (at least not yet), a drive of the Electric at Land Rover’s Gaydon, England, proving ground showed electric power to be unusually well-suited to what the beloved ‘full-fat’ Range Rover is intended to do.
Has going EV killed the Range Rover aura?
I don’t think so. First and foremost, the designers chose not to shove the Electric’s zero-emissions credentials down your throat. Aside from very subtle aerodynamic changes to the grille, wheels and lower bodywork, the styling is essentially identical to combustion-powered versions, sans tailpipes.
Inside, the same philosophy applies: you’d need to spot EV-related readouts on the digital instruments to pick this as the Electric, as acres of soft leather, real wood and glossy metals remain. Plus, a few knobs return for 2027.
That feels like the right call. Nobody who deliberately buys the old-money Range Rover – this isn’t a Sport – needs the neighbours to know they chose an EV.
What’s this going to cost me?
Plenty. Land Rover has essentially pegged the cost of the Range Rover Electric to the existing 4.4-litre, BMW-sourced twin-turbo V8 models, with pre-orders opening up for the 405kW/850Nm dual-motor EV version kicking off at $317,718.
That’s for the HSE version. You can, naturally, shell out much more for the Autobiography ($357K), or the ultra-exclusive SV grade ($417K). The latter is dripping in bespoke paints, leathers and materials with the longest standard equipment list, including an executive rear seating package.
It won’t stop there. Long Wheelbase versions will be added to the list later, offering stretch-out room in the back – the Standard Wheelbase is a bit poky for some. Initial Australian deliveries are expected in the first quarter of 2027.
What are the boastable numbers?
Mainly that the Electric is more powerful and torquey than the V8: 405kW plays
390kW, and 850Nm trumps 750Nm. The EV is also ever so slightly quicker from 0-100km/h (4.5 vs 4.6 seconds). Maybe keep on the down-low that at 2810kg, it’s also heavier by 300kg.
There are two identical 260kW electric motors on each axle (they don’t add together perfectly), plus a substantial 118.5kWh battery pack that can officially deliver 578-600km range, though Range Rover quotes up to 535km in realistic conditions.
The 800-volt architecture can take 350kW DC charging for 10-80 percent in 22 minutes. And for envious types that fire back that the V8 can splash-and-dash in five: the brand says it studied 360 million anonymous Range Rover drives and claims the Electric could have done 349 million of them without recharging.
Electric off-roading? Sounds complex…
The EV story becomes quite interesting off-road. Electric motors, and the lack of a gearbox, mean you get extraordinarily precise control of the torque, and the traction systems of the Electric respond in 50ms – twice as fast as the combustion car.
There are still serious hardware credentials here, too, including 900mm wading capability. The battery is insulated for swims of that depth; go beyond it and the brand says any 4WD’s tyres will start to float away from the riverbed…
On Gaydon’s steep off-roading course, the takeaway wasn’t the Electric’s brute force but its finesse. Tiny accelerator movements translate perfectly into minute changes in speed, making it so easy to place this 4WD while cresting hills and negotiating obstacles.
Range Rover’s off-roading engineers reckon the EV is better than the V8 on sand because there are no gears to shift and no revs to manage at critical moments. On the road, how does it feel? Electric power is a pretty perfect fit for the full-size Range Rover, which has always been about reducing stress and isolating you from rough roads.
Removing inherently unrefined combustion engines takes this idea further. The setup here is extraordinarily quiet and smooth. A synthetic soundtrack can be turned up or down, but power simply builds progressively and quickly without too much pitch.
More surprising is the ride quality, which is superior to the combustion version.
Range Rover has redeveloped the twin-chamber air suspension and adaptive
dampers to suit the considerably stiffer Electric chassis, while the big battery lowers the centre of gravity by 88mm.
Surely those 2.8 tonnes make themselves known? They do, though the handling doesn’t differ much from the V8 or plug-in hybrid. In fact, it’s only 80kg heavier than the latter. While the Electric doesn’t understeer or lumber around too much, it does lean. And that’s the way of the full-fat Range Rover.
This isn’t the right choice for a driver that wants a sports SUV – the Sport Electric comes later. Instead, the full-size version has relaxed, deliberate body control.
Would we buy one?
Given that we’re talking about the full-size Range Rover and not the Sport, I think the answer is a reserved ‘yes’. This model is all about maximising quietness, opulence and smoothness. Objectively, the Electric pushes all of those attributes further.
There is clearly still a role for big, characterful combustion engines at Range Rover, though they might become the purview of the Sport in the coming years. If you’re considering throwing $300,000 down on a Range Rover, it’s likely you have the setup to accommodate a 22kW home or office charger to fully replenish the beast overnight or during the day. Practicality’s likely not going to be an issue.
Nobody is forcing enthusiasts to abandon their V8s here, but the Range Rover Electric simply gives luxury SUV buyers another interesting option, and one that does several things so impressively that it deserves a clear look-in.