A new high-end electric car, expected to be branded Road Rover, is being developed by Jaguar Land Rover and will be ready before the end of the decade.
According to sources who have spoken to Autocar, the new EV is being designed with China and California in mind. The former is highly incentivising the take up of electric vehicles, while the latter is mandating a certain percentage of all car sales to be electric by 2025.
Despite only being two years away from launch, details about the Road Rover are scarce, but the car is thought to share a platform with the next-generation Jaguar XJ.
Both the XJ and Road Rover will feature a pure electric drivetrain with two motors and on-demand all-wheel drive.
Unlike the XJ, the Road Rover will have a taller wagon or crossover-style body, and a degree of off-road ability. The common aluminium platform being developed for the XJ and Road Rover is said to support internal combustion engines, as well as the battery storage needs of an EV.
Said to be a rival for the Mercedes-Benz S-Class in terms of luxury and cabin appointments, the new Road Rover will reportedly bridge the gap between the road-going Jaguar range and Land Rover’s selection of off-roaders.
The magazine understands Jaguar Land Rover bosses decided to go with the new Road Rover brand because it was worried the Range Rover brand wouldn’t stretch to encompass electric vehicles.
Additionally, the powers that be weren’t ready to compromise the off-road capability of its Range Rover marque, while the bluff front-end of the Range Rover and Range Rover Sport aren’t well suited to the aerodynamic needs of an electric vehicle.
Like the recently launched Velar, the Road Rover name is borrowed from a prototype vehicle from the company’s past. That original model was developed in 1950s, and was envisioned as a link between Rover’s sedan models and the Land Rover, although it never made it into production.
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