Land Rover has given us our first glimpse of a dramatic new all-electric Range Rover GT ahead of its launch later this year, previewing a striking four-door SUV-coupe.
The camouflage can’t hide the smooth SUV-coupe looks that appear to herald a new design language for the luxury British brand, with the shape more reminiscent of a Polestar 4 than any current model.
Built to be the fifth member of the Range Rover family, the GT has not been designed to replace any current model and will be sold alongside the Evoque, Velar, Range Rover Sport and flagship Range Rover.
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Created to be the most technologically advanced Land Rover ever, beneath the skin the GT also introduces JLR’s (Jaguar Land Rover) all-new flexible Electric Modular Architecture (EMA), which could mean a plug-in hybrid or range-extender hybrid version arrives later.
All should deliver Range Rover’s trademark levels of comfort and refinement, with the promise of genuine off-road capability – although this is bound to have been compromised by the GT’s lower ride height.
Tipped to boast powerful 800-volt electrics and a large battery of more than 100kWh, the Range Rover GT should provide ultra-fast DC charging and, with its slippery styling, a range of more than 700km.
Land Rover remains tight-lipped about how many e-motors the GT will come equipped with, but it’s thought it might share its dual motors with the inbound Range Rover Sport Electric, while a future SV version could boast a wilder triple-motor setup that will also be available on the Jaguar Type 01.
Other variants that have already been spotted testing by spy photographers include a Shooting Brake wagon that could eventually be rolled out to supersede the ageing Velar.
Within, the GT introduces an all-new approach to interior design that is almost as radical as its exterior styling.
Swing the large frameless doors wide and you’ll instantly notice designers have employed the smallest screens they could, with most of the technology hidden out of sight.
The result is a lounge-like GT cabin that provides a calmer experience. A passenger touchscreen isn’t even an option.
As standard, the GT comes with four seats, but a more practical five-seat version will also be available.
The reductive approach has extended to every aspect of the cabin, with simple forms embraced even for the wool- and Ultrafabrics-wrapped seats that do without leather, with the fabric material said to be half as heavy.
Not that future models won’t come with hide. It’s just that leather doesn’t stretch in quite the same way to achieve the clean, minimal look designers wanted for the concept.
Other highlights are the woven textile that wraps the dash and hides the car’s speakers, while it’s hard not to warm to the 1970s-inspired steering wheel, metallic centre console cover and outstanding attention to detail, such as the subtle vertical strips of aluminium on the door cards.
Above the oval-shaped steering wheel is a thin instrument panel that sits freestanding above the dash and displays the speed, estimated range and battery charge. Note the concept reads 288 miles (464km) at 80 per cent, perhaps suggesting a total range of around 580km at 100 per cent.
Even though it has rakish lines, a full-width panoramic glass roof and the clever new platform mean there’s still generous rear headroom for taller occupants, while legroom is claimed to be on par with the firm’s largest Range Rover.
Between the rear seats is a central divider that provides a control panel for the rear climate controls.
Announcing that final on-road testing is already well underway, Land Rover confirmed the Range Rover GT will land later this year, with the new model expected to sit in the line-up above the current Velar but below the Range Rover Sport.
Commenting on the new GT, Range Rover brand boss Martin Limpert said:
“The Range Rover GT will redefine the grand-touring segment with the ability to deliver beautiful and engaging GT poise, proportions and long-distance refinement while offering capabilities no conventional GT can match.
“We have spent the last few years working obsessively on the fundamentals of the GT formula, reinterpreted in a sophisticated, uniquely Range Rover way. The result is the most car-like, yet unmistakably capable.
“Its blend of effortless EV performance, first-class long-haul refinement and all-terrain capability is pure Range Rover, while its calming interior previews our vision of a modern grand tourer.”
