Report: New Range Rover Sport to get new diesel V8 hybrid, and “EcoBoost” I4, larger cousin to get hybrid too

CarSales.com of Australia reports that Land Rover is preparing to unveil their first foray into alternative propulsion by introducing the all-new Range Rover Sport with a diesel-electric hybrid setup alongside the traditional diesel V8-powered model at the Frankfurt Motor Show later in September. We last heard about this not too long ago via CARandDRIVER.

Check out all the details on the 2014 Range Rover Sport here.

These bits of details trickle in after the outfit apparently sat down with Land Rover’s Chief Program Engineer for the all-new Range Rover Sport, Stuart Frith. In addition to the oil burner and its newly born diesel-electric hybrid sibling, a turbocharged four-cylinder “EcoBoost” motor is also scheduled to make its way under the bonnet—as they say down yonder.

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Check out all the details on the 2013 Range Rover here.

This would obviously imply a Ford-sourced EcoBoost four-banger, considering Land Rover’s relationship with the Dearborn automaker—along with Jaguar, to later make the Jaguar-Land Rover alliance—was truly cemented by Ford’s acquisition of Land Rover from BMW in 2000. Then of course, in 2008, Ford lifted both Jaguar and Land Rover to Tata Motors, the current owner of the two brands.

“The significant weight reduction of 420kg has allowed us to put an I4 engine in the car – which will come later in the life cycle of the product,” Frith told CarSales.com. “Prototypes that we’ve made, with the I4 in, the car really still is truly a Range Rover; it still has the performance and off-road capability, because of that weight saving.”

But Frith withheld his answer to the question of when and continued to discuss the incoming diesel V8 and diesel-hybrid models.

“Another addition — really a reintroduction for Range Rover Sport — is a V8 diesel, so the SDV8 rejoins the line-up at the end of 2013, and that’s got 700Nm of torque,” Frith elaborated. “Also later in 2013, our first hybrid will join the range.”

Both models are to be fitted with the same ZF eight-speed transmission being used in every other Range Rover variant, with Frith further hinting that the hybrid may utilize a motor/generator unit built in the vicinity of the flywheel.

And to add the icing to the cake, Frith’s closing remark was that the full-bodied L405 series Range Rover will too be getting the diesel-hybrid drive.

– By: Chris Chin

Source: CarSales.com.au