For years, Range Rover has occupied a space few manufacturers have managed to replicate, blending genuine off-road capability with a level of luxury that has become the brand's calling card. Now, the British marque is preparing to add a fifth model to its growing lineup but not in the way you might expect.
Did they actually unveil the GT
There is a bit more waiting one will have to endure before we have a good look at the newest member of Range Rover but Here's what Range Rover has revealed so far : This is a new concept that embodies the brands new direction that has electrification integrated within it. The GT like its name suggests, will serve as the brands grand tourer.
As the wrapped silhouette features a sloping roofline, the car is still very much an SUV and not a sedan. And while the wrap's main job is to throw you off, it looks like the GT will sport a three-door configuration as opposed to four, which certainly pays homage to the Evoque model that also caused quite a stir when it was officially unveiled in both concept and production versions.
Martin Limpert, Managing Director, Range Rover, 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, Range Rover ever created, now possible on our electrified EMA architecture – complementing our existing powertrain portfolio to deliver a complete set of options for every customer need. 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.”
The real story here is that the interior is actually what was "unveiled"
The GT will feature a futuristic cabin along with a debut layout that showcases technology woven into its architecture, with a new single-screen design paired with a driver display in place of a traditional instrument cluster. "Minimalist" at its finest, with elements such as the air vent being concealed and running across the width of the cabin.
A woven textile, wraps the dashboard in a single, cohesive gesture – tactile, architectural, and designed to hide speakers within its form. Even though it is a departure from what we are used to, the cream interior, sculptured seats and intense use of various material placement shows that this is a Range Rover through and through.
V8?
The changes run deeper than one would have thought, the GT will be the first EV only offering from the brand. It will be built on the new EMA platform, manufactured in Halewood, UK alongside ICE and hybrid models. Range Rover GT will be available as a battery electric vehicle (BEV) initially, with flexibility planned to be added to future vehicles through a full Hybrid Electric Vehicle (HEV) option later in the lifecycle.
We are witnessing a change in real from Range Rover
If there's one thing this preview tells us, it's that Range Rover isn't interested in following the electric trend. It wants to redefine it on its own terms. The GT already looks set to combine the elegance of a grand tourer with the capability expected of a Range Rover, and if the production car stays true to this concept, it might just become the most intriguing model the brand has launched in decades.