Meet the Range Rover GT, the company’s third EV and most car-like creation to date

Range Rover has announced its third all-electric model and this time it’s a pure EV from the outset, a car that also marks Range Rover’s debut in a brand new sector. Welcome to the Range Rover GT, a crossover luxury electric GT that shares the new EMA platform with the forthcoming Jaguar Type 01.

Whilst the Jaguar’s form factor – for all its controversies – represents a continuation of the lithe, low-slung sporting ethos that has defined the brand for decades, the RR GT is a definite departure. Debuting as EV-only, with potential for a hybrid-electric version further down the line, the GT will be built at Range Rover’s Halewood factory. A full reveal won’t happen until later this year, implying that production could start in late 2027 or early 2028.

What else do we know? The low, curved roofline is very much atypical for a Range Rover. Up until now, the company has eschewed any sector other than the standard SUV, reasoning that it offers up multiple use cases, from executive luxury to off-road tool, in the same form factor.

From a superficial reading of the stance and ground clearance, the GT can’t possibly offer the breadth of ability of a ‘regular’ Range Rover; perhaps this is a tacit acknowledgement that only a small fraction of the company’s customer base ever tackles anything more challenging than a high curb.

Instead, the focus is on long-distance travel and luxury – both things that Range Rover (not to mention Jaguar) already do rather well. To that end, the company has laid bare the cabin design to give aspiring customers a good idea of what to expect. This is very much a minimal space, sharing, dare we say it, some of the architectural elements of the Type 00 Concept.

That includes a large centre console between the front seats, a stripped-down dash with a very horizontal emphasis and technology that is largely hidden away, rather than placed in plain sight (discounting the large landscape touch screen).

The rear cabin continues this architectural focus, with vertical blade-like trim elements marking the junctions between doors and dash. Woven textiles are prioritised, as are simple graphics and minimal physical controls.

The latter might seem controversial at a time when almost all premium car makers are reintroducing a more analogue approach back into their interiors following customer feedback.

However, as Range Rover says, ‘every [interior] element has been considered to create a sanctuary of calm, with a focus on reduced visual and acoustic noise and natural conversational access to more vehicle functions than ever before’, implying that the company believes minimalism is still a strong driver in the luxury sector.

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There’s no word on tech specs or range just yet, beyond the fact that this will be the most ‘car-like’ Range Rover ever built, bringing together ‘effortless EV performance, first-class long-haul refinement and all-terrain capability’.

The flowing camouflage wrap seen here cloaks any new design detail that might also debut with the car and could influence the rest of the range. Likely rivals include the Mercedes-Maybach GLS and Bentley's upcoming Torcal EV, with a corresponding uplift in the price point.

Almost a decade ago, JLR applied for the trademark ‘Road Rover’, a hint that development of a low, more dynamically focused model has been in the works for many years. The name dates back to the 1950s, when Land Rover was considering a less agricultural machine for a wider customer base, a project that eventually led to the launch of the first Range Rover in 1970. Subsequent industry upheaval – pandemics, EV regulatory shifts, Jaguar’s brand overhaul, the massive JLR cyber-attack – have all conspired to push back the debut of what is now known as the Range Rover GT.

For now, all we know for certain is that proportion, function and form are getting a grand shake-up for the first time in Range Rover’s history.

RangeRover.com, @RangeRover