The luxury electric SUV market has been rattled by the arrival of the eagerly anticipated Range Rover Electric.
The Range Rover Electric will be the firm’s flagship EV and will focus on providing limousine levels of comfort and refinement, while being capable of tackling the world’s toughest terrains with its all-wheel-drive setup and off-road technology, all while producing zero tailpipe emissions.
So, before you go out and put your name down for this £154,000 SUV, what cars is the Range Rover Electric going up against, and what does the competition have to offer?
BMW iX
The BMW iX is a great all-rounder thanks to its excellent levels of refinement, quality and interior space.
It might not be the best-looking car on sale, and its awkward exterior dimensions won’t be to everyone’s taste, but the iX is great to drive, with direct steering and agile handling, while it packs plenty of punch from its electric powertrain.
Underneath, the iX is hooked up to a 100kWh battery pack with dual electric motors that provide all-wheel drive and 402bhp. BMW claims the car can travel up to a claimed 367 miles between charges and can be topped up at speeds of 175kW, enabling a 10 to 80 per cent charge to be completed in 34 minutes.
There’s also a more powerful ‘xDrive60’ model that uses the same 100kWh dual-motor setup, but power has been boosted to 537bhp, while it can manage up to a claimed 426 miles on a single charge. Meanwhile, this model is compatible with 195kW DC rapid-charging speeds, allowing a 10 to 80 per cent charge to take 35 minutes.
Mercedes G-Class Electric
If you want rugged off-road capability wrapped up in a retro body, then how about the Mercedes G-Class Electric?
In terms of price, the Mercedes is on par with the Range Rover Electric and comes with lots of off-road technology and quad electric motors with all-wheel drive.
The G-Class Electric is equipped with something called ‘G-Turn’, which allows the vehicle to turn 360 degrees on the spot, while it can wade through water up to 850mm deep.
Underneath, the car is packing a 116kWh battery pack that can take the car a claimed 294 miles between charges, while the quad electric motors produce a total of 587bhp and 1,164Nm of torque. All models are compatible with 200kW DC rapid-charging speeds, which allows 10 to 80 per cent to be completed in 32 minutes.
Mercedes EQS SUV
Another Mercedes on this list is the EQS SUV, which brings all-wheel-drive capability with luxury levels of quality, refinement and comfort.
The EQS SUV uses a 118kWh battery pack with dual electric motors to provide a claimed electric range of up to 364 miles in the ‘EQS 450’ model, and 363 miles in the ‘EQS 580’ variant.
Inside, the cabin oozes class with its seven-seat configuration and Mercedes’ MBUX Hyperscreen, which includes a full-width curved glass display that runs the length of the dashboard and houses a 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster, a 17.7-inch OLED infotainment system and a 12.3-inch OLED front passenger display.
To aid manoeuvrability, the EQS SUV comes with four-wheel steering, where the rear wheels turn up to 10 degrees in the opposite direction to the front wheels, making it easier to drive around town.
Yangwang U8
Yangwang is one of two premium sub-brands from Chinese giant, BYD, and the U8 is the firm’s flagship SUV.
It’s a range-extender electric vehicle, or REEV for short, and uses a 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbocharged petrol engine as a generator to power the onboard electric motors and 49kWh battery pack, giving the car a claimed electric range of up to 112 miles.
The U8 comes with some of the latest technology, the most impressive being its ‘emergency flotation’ feature, which enables the vehicle to float in water for up to 30 minutes, turning this £123,000 SUV into a posh boat.
Inside, the premium feel continues with ventilated leather seats and acres of rear-seat space to make this the ideal companion on long journeys.
Additionally, the U8 has a maximum towing capacity of up to 2,500kg and provides a boot capacity of up to 1,031 litres with the rear seats in place.
