2023 Land Rover Range Rover Review

The 2022 model year was a bit of a mess for Land Rover's most luxurious and expensive SUV. Depending on when you last stepped foot into your local dealership, you were either saddled with the previous-generation Range Rover — unremarkable, except for the awesome available supercharged V8 — or the brand-spanking-new Range Rover with an overhauled interior and improved technology interface. There's no such confusion with the 2023 Land Rover Range Rover, as the old model is kicked to the curb for good. Land Rover is also introducing a brand-new powertrain to supplement the existing turbocharged mild hybrid inline-six and turbocharged 4.4-liter V8.

A plug-in hybrid joins the lineup this year, and we can already tell it has more potential than the previous Range Rover PHEV last sold in 2021. That plug-in was primarily driven by a turbocharged four-cylinder engine that developed nearly 400 horsepower. Though it had solid specs on paper, the powertrain's lurches and inconsistent power delivery felt unbecoming of a $100,000-plus luxury SUV. And worse, the hybrid earned lower fuel economy estimates than the standard six-cylinder model.

The PHEV variant of the new Range Rover swaps out the four-banger for an inline-six. Output is up to a robust 434 horsepower, though the torque output at 405 lb-ft is considerably less than the four-cylinder's 472 lb-ft. However, Land Rover says the Range Rover PHEV — also known as the P440e — should be able to accelerate from zero to 60 mph in 5.8 seconds, which would roughly match the old four-cylinder's sprint time. The battery pack is also significantly larger than last time around, growing from 13.1 kWh of usable capacity to 31.8 kWh. All-electric range rises accordingly from the previous model's estimate of 19 miles to a Land Rover-estimated 48 miles for the new Range Rover PHEV.

Look for the 2023 Land Rover Range Rover PHEV to arrive on dealer lots later this year, with a starting price of $106,250.

We have high hopes that this version of the Range Rover PHEV will be more successful than its predecessor. With more power, a larger battery pack and the smoothness delivered by the six-cylinder engine, the PHEV could be the powertrain to get.