2027 Range Rover Electric First Drive: It’s a Really Big Deal. Did They Get It Right?

Off-roading a wide and large, $179,150 Range Rover up a narrow trail in the Scottish Highlands seems like a bad idea. And we’re talking up. As we carefully clamber the steep hill, the Range Rover points its nose toward the sky, and all we can see is the spotter at the top. It feels like we’re aiming straight for him, but he doesn’t appear fazed. With guidance from the spotter, aided by camera views of what’s in our SUV’s periphery, we crest the hill without issue and exhale, before driving—carefully—to the next part of the course Land Rover has set up.

What we never hear is an engine under the hood, because we’re in the 2027 Range Rover Electric First Edition, an SUV with a lot to prove. Years after MotorTrend traversed 7,686 miles of the Trans-America Trail in an all-electric Rivian R1T, perception still lags reality when it comes to how capable EVs are when the going gets rough. Range Rover’s combination of design and off-roading heritage is big business, and predictably, the brand’s first ever EV is a big deal.

But is it any good?

Why the Range Rover Electric Matters

The Range Rover’s hushed cabin and brisk acceleration instantly make it one of the most luxurious trim levels. But this powertrain is also about expanding optionality for the brand’s well-heeled clientele. Above a certain price point, the ability to customize a luxury SUV to your specific wants and needs becomes paramount.

Those who don’t care what powers their Range Rover should be satisfied with the smooth 395-hp I-6. That lacks the urgency of a V-8, however, so Range Rover offers 523- and 607-hp eight-cylinder options. A six-cylinder plug-in is also available, and that brings us to the new EV.

In a way, the 2027 Range Rover Electric aims to be the best all-around compromise in the lineup. It can wade through up to 35 inches of water (we experienced this firsthand) and climb slopes up to 45 degrees, which is cool even if most of these SUVs will never venture further off-road than a gentle trail to a remote winter cabin in, say, the Scottish Highlands. The quick acceleration is a great Range Rover Electric perk, but that’s not the whole story, either.

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These days, for every buyer who loves the burble of a V-8, we suspect plenty more now prefer the quietness of EVs—in fact, the EV is roughly 7 decibels quieter than the V-8, according to Range Rover. Recharging overnight in the privacy of your own home also represents the ultimate in everyday convenience. Try that in your Range Rover V-8.

On the Road

With 542 hp and 627 lb-ft of torque from a dual-motor powertrain engineered in-house, the 2027 Range Rover Electric can move faster than you’d think, with Range Rover quoting a brisk 0–60-mph time of 4.3 seconds. That’s mostly a good thing, as the brand has carefully tuned the three-ton luxury SUV to deliver the power without an abrupt head snap yet still with authority. There’s a slight ramping up of power that fits the brand.

What we’d like less of is the slight steering wheel tug we experienced in Comfort and Dynamic modes while passing on narrow two-lanes. Almost like torque steer, the sensation is limited to the most spirited blasts of acceleration.

Dynamic mode offers the full 542 hp, Comfort has about 493 hp, Eco is around 276 hp, and the low-power mode—the one you use when you’re not sure if you can make it to the next charger—has 217 hp.

Thanks in part to its air suspension, the ride quality is good. We’d be more effusive here, but much of our drive took place on tight two-lane roads with a near-endless series of uneven undulations. Translation: hours of beautiful scenery punctuated by more than a fair amount of unpleasant head toss. It’s possible the Range Rover Electric, which has been tuned with 10 percent less roll than gas variants, will perform better on the suburban roads where most of these SUVs will roam.

Wherever it’s driven, there’s just enough steering feel to confidently place the SUV without that sensation becoming tedious. However, even with the rear wheels steering up to 7.2 degrees in the opposite direction as the fronts at low speeds, the Range Rover never feels like a compact Evoque.

EV Credentials: Good, Not Great

On the surface, an EPA-estimated driving range of 333 miles sounds good, but that’s up to 333 miles. To Range Rover’s credit, the EV is offered in standard-wheelbase and five-passenger long-wheelbase models. This means your range may vary slightly—a base $140,450 model with 21s may last longer on a road trip between charge stops than a loaded long-wheelbase at more than double the price.

The Range Rover’s range figures are competitive with the Bentley Torcal, and it demolishes the electric Mercedes G-Wagen. But all of these pale in comparison to the Cadillac Escalade IQ, an SUV of the Year–winning behemoth we’ve called the ultimate road-trip EV. Then there’s the more common, less expensive BMW iX5, which is nearly as big dimensionally yet offers a range of up to 435 miles.

A couple other smart choices should make the Rover a good road-trip partner. The SUV has a built-in NACS charge port, which facilitates easy stops at Tesla Superchargers. Also, its 800-volt architecture should mean quicker charging on road trips, as fast as 125 miles added in 10 minutes of charging. That’s important because a six-figure car should never dictate how often you stop on a long drive and for how long.

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We drove right-hand-drive 2027 Range Rover Electrics in Scotland.

We’re spending a lot of time discussing range and charge speed even though most driving is local, with charging at home. Range Rovers aren’t logical, though; this brand leads with an emotional punch. The brand’s mystique keeps people coming back for more. That’s why it’s great that, except for a couple of minor details, the 2027 Range Rover Electric delivers EV refinement and luxury. Another example, the one-pedal driving has been tuned to reach a stop especially smoothly.

V-8 or EV? The Decision is Clear

The clue is in the pricing. Range Rover offers a V-8 at the same price as the new electric version, and that reinforces what we learned driving a 2027 Range Rover Electric across Scotland. In their own ways, each model provides advantages over the solid, base I-6.

Anyone remotely curious about the EV should try it. We doubt many of the neighbors have one, so there’s built-in snob appeal. The everyday experience is superior, but road trips do require a little more planning due to range limitations compared to gas models.

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Otherwise, the 2027 Range Rover Electric is largely successful in bringing the classic Range Rover formula into the EV era. Our biggest open question now is reliability. We’ve seen other brands like Volvo, Rivian, and Chevrolet have early struggles with EVs. Hopefully for Range Rover, it won’t experience similar growing pains.

We asked a couple of Range Rover representatives about this, and they pointed out that this isn’t a fully new platform like the Range Rover GT, another upcoming EV with a lot to prove. EVs also have fewer moving parts than gas cars. Range Rover plans regular over-the-air updates, which could optimize the SUVs’ heat management system. There’s a couple “coulds” and “maybes” here, so we’ll have to see over time whether Range Rover can launch the electric version with fewer bumps than others have.

Expanding the Range Rover’s Reach

What we do know is that the rest of the experience measures up overall. For existing EV owners and newcomers alike, the 2027 Range Rover Electric is a worthy addition to the range, offering similar luxury as the other trims in the Range Rover lineup yet in a completely new way. One thing’s for sure—you won’t hear it coming.