Range Rover and Range Rover Sport get new straight-six diesel in 2021 update
The Range Rover can now be specced with a new six-cylinder 48-volt mild-hybrid diesel engine and a choice of fresh special edition models
Land Rover has revised the Range Rover and Range Rover Sport’s engine ranges, adding a range of technology upgrades and a new 3.0-litre straight-six 48-volt mild-hybrid diesel engine, which replaces the company’s aging 3.0-litre V6 and 4.4-litre V8 diesels.
The Range Rover model line-up has also been bolstered with a fresh range of special edition variants – and both SUVs are available to order now. The full-sized Range Rover is priced from £83,465, while the Range Rover Sport starts from £65,295.
JLR’s new 3.0-litre mild-hybrid diesel powertrain comes in a choice of two power outputs. The entry-level D300 unit produces 296bhp and 650Nm of torque, while the range-topping D350 model has 345bhp and 700Nm of torque. The latter system has 11bhp more than the Range Rover’s old V8 diesel engine, but 40Nm less torque.
Land Rover says the entry-level version of its new Ingenium mild-hybrid diesel engine will return up to 33mpg on the WLTP test cycle, with the more powerful D350 variant offering a claimed figure of 30.8mpg. Thanks to the engine’s hybrid assistance and improved catalytic converters, emissions are also improved over the outgoing V8 – the most powerful model emits 37g/km of CO2 less than the old engine, with claimed emissions figure of 238g/km.
Despite this, performance has improved across the board. The entry-level D300 engine gives the Range Rover a 0–62mph time of 7.4 seconds, which is a 0.5 second improvement over the old SDV6 engine. The D350 unit manages the same sprint in 6.9 seconds – 0.3 seconds faster than the outgoing SDV8 unit.
In addition to the new engine, Land Rover has also improved both car’s equipment levels. Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are offered as standard across the entire line-up, while a new roaming WiFi hotspot can support up to eight devices. JLR has also fitted an upgraded cabin filtration system, which can remove particulates measuring less than 2.5 micrometres in size from the interior air.
There’s also a range of new special edition models for buyers to choose from. The full-sized Range Rover gains a pair of unique new specifications with the Westminster Edition and SVAutobiography Dynamic Black – while the Range Rover Sport gets Land Rover’s new HSE Dynamic Black and Carbon Edition trim-levels.
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