The electric version of the Range Rover Sport is being readied as a high-powered rival to the likes of the Lotus Eletre and Porsche Cayenne EV.
One of six electric cars that JLR plans to launch by 2026 across the Land Rover and Jaguar line-ups, it has now been spotted testing in Spain, in prototype form.
The prototype wears several key changes over the petrol-engined Range Rover Sport, including a blanked-off grille (its pattern being the inverse of that on the regular version) and covers for the regular version's exhaust pipes.
Its battery pack can be seen set between the front and rear axles, and the charging port is expected to lie behind the conventional fuel filler cap, as it does on the more luxurious Range Rover Electric.
It comes as JLR adjusts its electrification plan slightly to enable additional development time and cater to shifting consumer demand.
When former JLR CEO Thierry Bolloré presented the company’s radical Reimagine transformation strategy exactly three years ago, the plan was to launch six Land Rover EVs and at least one Jaguar EV by that point.
Current CEO Adrian Mardell told reporters earlier this year that slowing down will ensure the new cars arrive on the market in the best form possible.
He said: “We talked about six Land Rovers by 2026. The reality is we’re likely to have six JLR products by 2026. We’re taking our time to make sure we put the best vehicles we’ve ever developed into the marketplace with that new technology.”
According to Mardell, the EV delays will not have a significant impact on JLR’s operations.
He said: “We’re a little slower than we said three years ago. That really isn’t a business challenge for us today, for those other dynamics in the marketplace, and we’re fully committed to the macro schedule: every product will be electrified by the end of the decade.”
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So I've just seen the Jaguar article on this site, and sure enough the EV won't show up until 2026! I see that Jaguar are keeping the 'LEAPER' after all . I wonder where the rumor that they were ditching it came from? Iirc it was Autocar! I knew they were going to keep it a couple of months ago because CAR magazine had that little bit of info in one of their articles about Jaguar TCS racing. hopefully the GROWLER will be retained as well. Gerry McGovern said that in his opinion the new design could ditch everything but the badge.
I'm still hating this no rear window BS. Does the driving test in the UK still require you to look over your shoulder when reversing?
So we'll get to see a concept of the forthcoming GT in December? At this point why not show just the actual production car? That probably means the production car won't actually go on sale until well into 2026, not at the beginning of that year. It's too late to add a rear window if they encounter substantial blow back after revealing the concept.
In all likliehood 'No rear window' will mean I won't be trading in my I-Pace for the GT. Hopefully common sense will prevail and the Jaguars after the initial car will have an actual rear window. The rear view camera mirror in my current car gives the impression that the car behind me is in the trunk/boot of my car (right up my ass!) rather than actually being15'-20' behind me. Maybe I have it adjusted wrong?
Perhaps we'll get a shadowy picture in a press release at some point to tease the December reveal, similar to how they teased the 2010 XJ.
No rear sceen is going to make whatever cars has it a very dull and dark place to be in. That alone puts me off.
When you realise that all Range Rovers since the LRX concept (which became the Evoke) have copied this look, and that was designed by Julian Thomson, you realise too that Gerry McGovern has been dining off someone else's work all that time.
But not having cars ready for sale in 2025, having to effectively shut down Jaguar and hope to relaunch it in 2026 is an absolute disaster. The more you learn of the Thierry Bollore plan, and how JLR management not only approved it but have stuck to it, the more shocked you are at the incompetence and ineptitude of all of them. Gerald Ratner has nothing on any of them.
This whole sorry JLR mess just makes me want to buy a Rivian. Or more likely an electric Isuzu pick-up, which is in development. Those vehicles actually make sense in 2024.
But it's still great news that they are finally building an electric Range-Rover, even at this late stage.
I agree, but the way they've gone about evicerating pretty much all of Jaguar's current offerings in preparation of the launch of JEA based models seems bone headed. The new Jags aren't on the Horizon, they're still over the horizon.At least start teasing the new models soon to build some excitement/anticipation for their arrival. That way Jaguar as a brand doesn't appear to be on life support, just prior to someone at TATA/JLR pulling the plug (pun intended).on the whole enterprise.
September 4th 2024 is the 123rd anniversary of Sir William Lyons birth. IMHO That would seem to be a very fitting date to announce Jaguar's rebirth.
From JLR: