Range Rover has revealed the surprising shape of its new 'GT' model – and it’s the most sedan/saloon-like vehicle the brand has ever produced.
The highly disguised initial view of the model undergoing final testing showed the luxury marque deviating away from its traditional upright boxy off-road SUVs into a new territory. Range Rovers have always been focused on world-class four-wheel-drive all-terrain capabilities, but the GT is a much more road-going luxury mile-muncher.
And that’s significant because it was the world’s first glimpse of the platform that will underpin many of the next generation Range Rover models.
We had a clue that things might take a new direction in the choice of the GT badge. The Grand Tourer (GT) segment classically mixed uncompromising sports cars and heavy, comfortable luxury sedans. Derived from the "Grand Tour" of the 1800s, where young wealthy Europeans traveled the continent for cultural education, it gave birth to the Italian term Gran Turismo. This defined vehicles engineered for high speed, long-distance driving in comfort, like a classic Jaguar or Aston Martin.
As consumer tastes shifted, the segment expanded to include Super SUVs like the Bentley Bentayga and Porsche Cayenne. The Range Rover GT is about to be a surprise addition to that exclusive tribe.
The Jaguar Land Rover sub-brand hasn't revealed a lot of technical details at this stage, but the GT appears to be a modern, elevated reinterpretation of the Grand Tourer formula – shaping up as a sleek, road-biased luxury crossover to replicate that classic long-distance continental cruising formula.
Range Rover GT will be the first all‑electric Range Rover vehicle based on the new EMA platform, manufactured in Halewood, UK. The GT will be available as a battery electric vehicle initially, with a hybrid possible later. Martin Limpert, Range Rover MD, admitted that the GT "is the most car-like" it has ever produced. The brand is renowned for inventing the luxury SUV category in the 1970s with its original boxy, elevated, high-end off-roader.
The current range comprises the Range Rover, Range Rover Sport, Range Rover Velar and Range Rover Evoque. The GT will fit right in the middle, above the aging Velar and Evoque models.
More details will be released later this year, says Land Rover, but the GT isn’t expected on sale until 2027.
The released photos show prototypes being tested, including examination in a semi-anechoic wave-absorbing soundproofed chamber, a process designed to identify any squeaks and rattles. It’s a sign Range Rover is striving to perfect on-board tranquility and a statement about the refinement of the new model.
What we did see of the GT is a distinctive aerodynamic silhouette with a tapered rear. It’s a pronounced coupe-SUV look that integrates Range Rover’s traditional big wheels and horizontal light signatures.
There was a glimpse inside too: with a minimalist horizontal dash with a full-width air vent, smaller wheel incorporating the drive selector and 13-inch touchscreen – but barely a button in sight. There’s no retro return to tactile controls here. Expect extensive voice-operated systems. The new operating system "will be much more responsive to natural conversation," says Range Rover.
In the spacious back seat area, under the biggest panoramic roof in Range Rover history, buyers can choose between a fixed four-seat layout or a rear bench for five, but all can fold flat to increase versatility.
Parent company Tata is building a £4-billion (US$5.32-billion) factory in Somerset, UK, to manufacture batteries so expect cells with the latest flat-pack design to form the platform floor. Insiders estimate the GT will try for a 500-mile plus range (800+ km). Prices are thought to be set to jump too, with more than US$90,000 being whispered around the car world.
Source: Land Rover
