LAND ROVER

The brand's risky bets for 2026

In 2026, Range Rover — now as a brand — enters one of the most delicate moments in its recent history. Electrification has ceased to be a distant inevitability and has become a concrete bet in segments where the customer remains cautious. And it does so with two very different, yet equally decisive, electric models.

The context helps explain the prudence. After launching the Jaguar I-Pace in 2018, JLR has not launched any more electric vehicles. Not due to a lack of development — platforms and technologies continued to evolve — but due to an increasingly cautious reading of the real demand in the premium and luxury segment.

The first bet is the Range Rover Electric, whose launch was delayed for almost two years and should finally be launched in 2026. Visually and conceptually, there is no rupture: it maintains the silhouette, positioning, and status of the Range Rover we know, only changing the propulsion system.

Based on the same MLA platform as the combustion and plug-in hybrid versions, the Range Rover Electric will have a 118 kWh battery and an 800 V electrical architecture. The announced power output is around 550 hp, to guarantee performance equivalent to the current Range Rover V8s, something the brand considers essential to avoid diluting the model's positioning.

Another critical point: off-road capabilities. Range Rover guarantees that the electric vehicle will maintain the aptitudes that define the name, emphasizing the superior traction control provided by the two electric motors and the electronic management adapted to off-road use.

This could be a decisive argument for a traditionally conservative customer, but even so, the risk is evident. The recent example of the Mercedes-Benz G-Class electric, with sales well below expectations, also helps explain the postponement of the Range Rover Electric and illustrates the difficulty of electrifying luxury icons without compromising their acceptance. That said, the brand says it has accumulated more than 60,000 expressions of interest since the opening of pre-reservations at the end of 2023.

The second bet is more structural. Range Rover will reveal an electric successor to the Velar in 2026, which may adopt a new name. It will be the first JLR on the new 800 V EMA (Electric Modular Architecture) platform, which will give rise to more models such as the next Evoque (2027) or a more compact Defender (2027).

Lower, longer and more aerodynamically efficient, the silhouette is closer to a raised station wagon than a conventional SUV. The objective is clear: to maximize efficiency and range in an increasingly competitive segment, which will gain strong contenders: BMW iX3 — which we have already driven —, Mercedes-Benz GLC and Volvo EX60 also arrive this year, joining the Audi Q6 e-tron and Porsche Macan electric.

Nothing is known about the final specifications, apart from the certainty of the two-motor configuration (one per axle), developed in-house. Uncertainties, in addition to the numbers, continue to fall on the adoption of 100% electric vehicles, fueling rumors of having an electric option with a range extender (EREV). In addition to this possibility, everything indicates that the current Velar with a combustion engine will continue in production for a few more years.

The stakes are high and the risk is real, but it is also inevitable. In 2026, Range Rover will learn whether electric luxury already has a place in the market or if it still needs time.

by Autonews