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"In an effort to get with the green movement, Land Rover is launching its first-ever hybrid models: diesel-electric versions of its Range Rover and Range Rover Sport in the U.K. This seems bound to make Gordon Bashford, the man responsible for the Range Rover development in the early 1950s, turn over in his grave. We already know that hybrid engines can produce very impressive power and performance figures on the road: just one look at the McLaren P1 or the Ferrari LaFerrari will demonstrate that. But is a diesel-electric hybrid really what you want for off-roading? I can&amp;#039;t see any additional off-road features or capabilities that are specific to the hybrid models. Land Rover does make a point of saying that the hybrids share the same off-road features and similar performance to the standard V8 models. The main objective here seems to be to simply create a greener but equally capable vehicle. With the cult-like following that the Range Rover has garnered, that might not be what the hardcore crowd wants to hear.   John Edwards, Land Rover Global&amp;#039;s brand director, had this to say about the new models: &amp;quot;The addition of a smooth electric drive enhances refinement, cuts CO2 emissions and delivers staggering performance on a par with our SD V8 engine.&amp;quot; The two new models share an identical powertrain, a 3.0-liter SD V6 diesel combined with a 35-kilowatt electric motor, producing a total of 335 hp and 516 lb-ft of torque (a healthy increase of 147 hp and 73 lb-ft of torque). But, will this translate to true, off-road capability? Beginning tomorrow and lasting until October 15, the new Range Rovers will journey from Solihull, U.K., to the home of Land Rover parent company Tata in Mumbai, India, along the legendary Silk Trail, which should prove to be an adequate test. "^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
<http://www.roadandtrack.com/new-cars/news/a5254/go-news-new-cars-land-rover-diesel-hybrid-models-announced/>