I was really eager to replace our 07 L322 TDV8 with a new P400e AB this year. In August we got to try a new P400e AB over a weekend - our hope was that this new PHEV would be the perfect replacement for our L322. However, we ended up not making an order. This is the summary of our assessment:
+ Extremely comfortable car to drive - must be one of the most comfortable vehicles in the world?
+ Very well sound isolated coupe.
+ Fantastic seats! Luxurious materials inside.
+ The 300 hp + el-motor combo is really fast and have a high torque - when the battery is not empty...
- The battery doesn't last very long, less than 25-30km was our experience. You need to manually select the Save option for each trip to preserve some battery for later usage (overtaking++).
- In order to have full effect of the P400e combo (el-motor + 300hp), you'll need to use the charger "always" (each day). We figured out that we wouldn't appreciate doing that in the long run.
- Not so practical: The reduced height in the boot was really annoying. We took the P400e for a drive to a hiking area, and then we experience that it was impossible to put our small backpack upright in the boot without taking out the shelf (the backpack needed to be kept upright due to the thermos and bottles). This car had the executive rear seats (which was very comfortable, BTW!), but even a P400e with rear benches will have the reduced height in the boot.
- Some software issues: Reverse camera not working a couple of times - had to restart car to get the camera working.
- Not able to get a retractable tow bar

So, our conclusions was that we either will have to; 1) Keep our practical and robust TDV8 L322, 2) Replace the L322 with a used L405 (too expensive here locally to buy a new petrol or diesel L405...) or 3) Wait for the L460 where LR hopefully have solved the battery placement as part of the platform design, in order to create a comfortable AND practical go-anywhere luxurious PHEV/ pure EL vehicle.

I had the Range Rover Sport PHEV for the weekend. Two four hour drives, some light off-roading.

Happy to report that the car is happy to cruise at high speeds (upper decile of outside lane in motorway speeds) without any battery charge. The sat nav ekes out the battery life so you arrive with 0%.

Competent off-road (mud tracks).

Engine response isn’t perfect linear but I think one will learn its quirks. It’s not bad or even poor, just that one can sense some of the transitions.

Fuel economy is shocking on long runs (as you’d expect). 25mpg over 450 miles. This includes one half charge of electricity at the beginning. This is obviously the worst way to drive the car - heavily laden with no battery for most of the journey.

The engine is not too raucous. Floor it and it sounds like a hot hatch is next to you revving its engine.

So what you are saying is it is adequate.
What I do not understand is why you would. The fact you are buying a new FF would indicate you are not hoping to save money. The debate about it contributing to protecting the planet is far from proven. Although not significant the fact when you arrive home you have to park it in a specific location and plug it in and then the reverse before departing seems tiresome.

I hope you get a nice warm feeling but I fear that is all and wetting yourself would achieve the sam. letters not necessarily in the right order

I don't know why you wouldn't.

Plugging it in takes seconds. I park my car in the same place all the time.

Faster, quieter and more refined than the SDV8. Less time in petrol stations than a 5.0s/c. The stop start is better managed than any other Rangie.

Long-term, I think I'll get 50+mpg from it - lots of short journeys at 100mpg+: long trips at 25mpg.

It's not about cost, it's about thinking about the environment. Hybrids create more pollution initially in their manufacture but produce less over their lives, assuming they are plugged in. The breakeven is about 5 years. That is proven.

Also, I no longer have to touch the diesel pump - big win.

Dixy, feel free to spend time filling yours with lorry fuel (or petrol ) and suffering the smell of the fuel and the exhaust (and the FBH). I'll waft past in silence.

The only downside is no spare wheel.

"It's not about cost, it's about thinking about the environment. Hybrids create more pollution initially in their manufacture but produce less over their lives, assuming they are plugged in. The breakeven is about 5 years. That is proven."

Untill they have to be decomisioned also they lugg around the weight of one or other powertrain that is doing nothing so use energy for no benefit.
A compromise to appease bunny huggers and spinning politicions. letters not necessarily in the right order

The car weighs the same as your 4.4 and has more power. It also uses braking to generate "free" power.

So your point makes zero sense. You are letting your prejudice cloud your judgement. Do some real research and you'll buy one too (if your usage pattern is appropriate)

Silent low speed operation appeals (sort of), but the rest doesn't - i think we're a couple of generations from a genuine alternative where there are no compromises; a few potential miles per gallon is completely irrelevant in the overall cost and experience of owning it.

Genuine question: what "compromise"? Other than a fractionally smaller boot and no spare wheel, I'm struggling to see any compromise.

Versus the 4.4SDV8, it's quieter, faster, more economical (if the usage pattern is not all long journeys), doesn't use foul smelling DERV, its start-stop is leagues less annoying and doesn't need adBlue. The instant torque of the electric engine is better for off-roading.

Versus the 5.0SC, it is way more economical and better start stop. Better low down torque.

I think one can build an argument for the 5.0SC but I struggle to understand why anyone would buy the diesel unless the daily commute is 30 miles+.

A thrashy little four cylinder (even if it’s not always thrashing away) just isn’t right in a £100k+ car - in fact, it’s enough to spoil an XC90 at £40k less; if they’d gone the Porsche route and added hybrid capability to a decent petrol engine the appeal would be much stronger. The smaller boot, reduced towing capacity etc. all point to compromise - which the next platform won’t have, as it will be designed-in from the start.

I understand why they will sell, but the technology is moving fast enough for them to be obsolete before the first service.

I'd say the 2.0l petrol is as noisy as my 4.4SDV8 when pushed, the rest of the time, it is quieter. So I don't see how it spoils the car. I don't tow. The smaller boot is indeed a compromise but a small one.

The next model won't be until 2021 (and realistically, you'd not one to own one fore a couple of years after that).

It’s not just volume, the experience is spoiled for me when £100k+ buys you something with a camping generator under the bonnet - re the aforementioned XC90, the engine is very quiet at cruise and when you’re not expecting it to do very much, but extend it and you’re in no doubt there’s an unpleasant little four cylinder up front.

Next platform:

I have no problem with alternative forms of propulsion for my LR. I don't think the infrastructure is there to be able to make these vehicles viable. I also don't think until it is, we will have a viable design from any manufacturer. The manufacturers need to do some joined up thinking with all their tech and work out what's beta and what's not. The Government have no real clue what to do other than scare everyone that the internal combustion engine is being killed off. No credible replacement has been found and adding a deadline means we have some knee jerk reaction rather than something that truly is an alternative. I don't consider my SDV8 to be smelly as you put it and if the technology which has already been invented gets sold to the correct party then the tick over problem is removed also. I can't entertain a P400e because I tow a caravan which slaughters battery power in seconds and the tiny little 4 pot is nowhere near man enough to do the job. Having a technology which gives us transport for short distances, you may as well save some cash and get a taxi. I doubt the transport industry will be taking on electric/PHEV where any distance has to be covered.
I admire your confidence in investing in what will undoubtedly be the future, I think we need a lot more future before we can do it effectively.

I am hoping lots and lots of people feel this way and then I will be able to buy a used P400e next year for peanuts!

Huwrhys wrote:

The Government have no real clue what to do other than scare everyone that the internal combustion engine is being killed off

I dislike the fact that the gov have said it is happening,no choice,therefore it is being forced on us. A better approach is to make EV a choice,if it is any good it will stand on its merit,if not , then that is the answer.