Land Rover may not be known for its fuel-efficient vehicles, but the venerable SUV manufacturer recently announced it is throwing its hat in the hybrid ring. The company is expected to unveil two distinct models at the upcoming Frankfurt Motor Show that pair a 47-horsepower electric motor with a V-6 turbo diesel engine, according to Motor Authority.
Even though it will rely partly on an electric motor, Land Rover says the performance of its new vehicles will not suffer. Specifically, it will be able to go from 0 to 62 mph in less than seven seconds, and reach a top speed of between 135 and 140 mph. Aside from cutting down on fuel consumption, Land Rover hopes its new releases will be better for the environment.
"We are extremely excited to introduce the Range Rover and Range Rover Sport Hybrids, the world's first hybrid SUVs with legendary Land Rover capability," said John Edwards, Land Rover's global brand director. "The addition of a smooth electric drive enhances refinement, cuts CO2 emissions and delivers staggering performance on a par with our SDV8 engine."
In an effort to showcase the impressive performance of the new hybrid, Land Rover will drive one of them from Solihull, England to Mumbai, India - a distance of more than 9,900 miles.