ALAN DOUGLAS: Land Rover embraces hybrid tech in Defender 110
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If you thought the new look that Land Rover has given its Defender was revolutionary, then stand by, because it has gone one step further.
Some would say, not before time, it has come up with a plug-in hybrid version which shatters all the misconceptions about big SUVs and their gas-guzzling image.
Until now, Land Rover has only dabbled in electrification with mid-hybrid power in some versions but says that by the end of the decade every Land Rover will be available in pure electric form – starting with the new Range Rover in two years' time.
What Land Rover has come up with just now is the P400e version of the long wheelbase 110 model, for the first time linking a turbocharged two-litre four-cylinder petrol engine to a 19.2kWh lithium-ion battery and an electric motor.
That means it can run purely on electric power for up to 27 miles which in working mode on a farm could translate to a morning's labour in the fields. Then as farmer Jim returns home for lunch, he can plug it into his wall-box to replenish the battery. That'll take about two hours, but 50kW rapid charging will do the job in half an hour, before he's even started on his pudding.
Combining electric and petrol power should return around 80 mpg and low CO2 emissions of around 80 g/km. Away from low benefit-in-kind business tax rates, the PHEV version is likely to appeal to private buyers who want something to get them to their outdoor pursuits with confidence – and suit the image they want to project.
Outwardly, there's little to distinguish this model from the standard Defender apart from a small P400e badge on the rear door and a second flap on the left rear wheel arch for the charging socket. In the cockpit, the set-up is the same except for an EV button beside the Terrain Response controls where you can call up the three modes of EV, Hybrid and Save.
The Defender is already a heavy vehicle but the electric motor and battery add another 400 kgs, which means it is quite a substantial lump to lug around but I didn't feel it had changed the driving dynamics and ride quality of what is undoubtedly a superb machine. If anything, the heavy battery under the floor has added to the overall stability of the vehicle, especially in tricky conditions.
On or off-road, the hybrid system looks after itself, unless you call up one of the modes, automatically selecting either electric or petrol power depending on the conditions and it shifts imperceptibly between the two.
I managed a few excursions onto rough tracks and it was superbly confident, dealing quite happily with the worst the Angus glens could throw at it, with steep drops and climbs, muddy streams and rock-strewn paths and I didn't even need to call on the catalogue of Terrain Response functions – although it was re-assuring to know they were there if needed.
Passenger and cargo space in the 110 is good, especially compared to the ridiculously small boot in the 90 version, although some capacity is sacrificed for the raised floor to accommodate the electric wizardry. The featured test vehicle was the mid-range X-Dynamic S version which came with a vast array of equipment, safety features and little extras which make life behind the wheel that bit more comfortable.
So it's all good news? Well yes, except for the little electronic niggles which seem to plague the latest Land and Range Rovers. I suspect it's because they've become so complex, that there's more to go wrong if they have a computer-based blip.
In my time with the car, the 10-inch central touch-screen regularly threw up distracting information I hadn't asked for. But the most annoying was its tendency to randomly change radio stations just as I was enjoying a particular song.
Maybe the car had an extra music quality feature – and my choice didn't make the grade.
CAR: Land Rover Defender 110 P400e X-Dynamic S PHEV
PRICE: £67,795
ENGINE: 1997cc petrol plug-in hybrid
POWER: 404 hp (petrol/electric combined)
TORQUE: 640 Nm (petrol/electric combined)
PERFORMANCE: Top speed 119 mph 0-60mph 5.4 secs
ECONOMY: 85 mpg combined
CO2 EMISSIONS: 80 g/km
ELECTRIC RANGE: 27 miles
