British manufacturer of sport utility vehicles (SUV), Land Rover, has unveiled two new diesel hybrid SUVs including, Range Rover and Range Rover Sport.
Both the variants are powered by Land Rover's 3L SDV6 diesel engine together with a 35kW electric motor, which are mated to an 8-speed ZF automatic transmission and generate an overall combined output power of 340PS at 4,000rpm and 700Nm torque between 1,500-3,000rpm.
The hybrid system also allows the SUV to accelerate from 0-62mph within seven seconds, while achieving a top speed of 135mph (218km/h).
Featuring three driver-selectable modes, the new Range Rover Hybrid powertrain system integrates lithium ion battery pack, inverter and electric motor.
According to the carmaker, the electric motor alone generates an output of 170Nm torque that boosts acceleration and drives the SUV in electric vehicle (EV) mode.
The motor will also act as a generator, producing kinetic energy through regenerative braking and charges the battery when the vehicle starts slowing.
Both the vehicles can travel at speeds of about 30mph (48km/h) in driver-selectable EV mode for about a mile before the diesel engine restarts functioning.
Sharing an identical powertrain and based on Land Rover's Lightweight Architecture, the two all-aluminium hybrid models can be ordered in Europe from 10 September 2013, with initial deliveries scheduled during early 2014.
