2026 Range Rover Sport Dynamic SE PHEV Has A Huge Incentive Built In to Make Owners Plug It In Every Time They Can

I need to reveal a bit of bias before I begin this story. I think the Range Rover Sport is one of the best SUVs - period. It’s not for everyone, but it may well be the best for the right luxury SUV buyer (lessee). I’ve had the support of Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) for decades, and I have driven so many different ones that I have forgotten all the names. All I can tell you is that, based on my fifteen years of testing cars, the Range Rover Sport set the bar for SUV excellence decades ago and has continued to improve. If you detect any favoritism in this story, it’s because I actually drove the vehicles. Now JLR is electrifying its lineup, and the Range Rover I tested this week gets a plug-in hybrid-electric powertrain (PHEV). Did it meet my lofty expectations?

Driving the Range Rover Sport Dynamic SE PHEV When It’s Charged Up
The Range Rover Sport Dynamic SE PHEV is the same Range Rover I remembered from my prior tests. Smooth. Quiet. Serene, really. And endless torque. It is able to drive in all-electric mode for over 50 miles. I verified this myself in winter driving with temperatures well below freezing. You can also choose “hybrid Drive Mode.” If you opt for that mode, it will use the battery and motors when it makes sense, or throw some gas into cylinders when that would be a good idea. I tried both modes and loved both. Like all PHEVs, you can “save” the EV range if you like. That works well for trips with some local driving at the start and end, and a long highway stretch in the middle. You save EV range for non-highway use.

The electric drive is all that you expect from a luxury EV. Smooth, quick, capable, zero local emissions. Silent, except for the government-mandated low-speed safety whine we all ignore now that hybrids dominate. The interior is fantastic. You know how all those clever auto review folks harp on about “soft-touch materials” versus “hard plastics?” You can forget all that with the Range Rover Sport. There was no interior budget. Rover chose the best materials everywhere. Gorgeous.

Android Auto is here, too. Bravo. No “Google built in money grab” at Rover. I can go on and on about this vehicle’s many advantages for the right buyer. There is even a spare tire! Suffice it to say, at $97K it should be good, but this thing is beyond awesome. Except in one situation.

When your traction battery loses the ability to drive all-electric and reverts to a conventional hybrid, the fun is diminished. It’s still a splendid vehicle, but… Ahh, yes, the but.

Unlike a Toyota hybrid, in the Range Rover Sport PHEV, when in hybrid mode with a zero on the all-electric range meter, stopping or even slowing down causes the gas engine to cycle on and off noticeably. You hear it, and it is not music to the ears. You also feel it. If this were a mainstream brand and a vehicle under $40K, I’d say, well, nothing. The powertrain would be fine. Good even. But at just under $100K, and having driven powertrains in the RR Sport I liked better, I have to report what I find. Why do I have to report it? Because I’m more picky with the awesome vehicles than I am when testing affordable econoboxes.

The PHEV range is perfect. 50 miles is a long way in most daily driving scenarios. Back in 2012, EV advocates told us all that was all we'd ever need. In fact, during a week of testing, I never took a trip longer than 50 miles one-way. A couple were longer than 50 miles round trip, and that’s how I found out that the powertrain was a bit less fantastic than some other RR Sport powertrains I’ve had the good fortune to sample. In certain rare scenarios.

Why You Will Want to Plug In - Always
EV advocates worry that PHEVs are a bad path for the industry to travel because folks won't plug them in. Luckily, there are two simple solutions that make this vehicle work great, and you don't have to deal with the minor negative at all. First, go to the center screen and tap off “Auto Stop Start.” Problem solved. The gas engine stays on. The vehicle is smooth and enjoyable. Second, always have it charged. I think option two is the right approach. The vehicle performs exceptionally well as an EV. On a long road trip on the highway, the problem won't manifest, since the auto stop-start won’t come on and off all the time.

Be Sure You Have Your Own Charger
I’m older now, have worked hard, have a working spouse who is at the very pinnacle of her field, and have been amazingly lucky. Given those circumstances, I can afford a garage, and inside I have two Level 2 EV Chargers. For me, plugging the vehicle in each time I park would be feasible. A hassle, but possible. I also have two mobile chargers that can plug into any NEMA 14/50 outlet. Why two of everything? Because of the dual standards. NACS and CCS/J1772. Nobody who's tried them likes EV charger adapters.

Charging the RR Sport PHEV is as easy as it gets. You can charge using a J-plug at home and fill it up in about four hours. Less if it’s not empty when you start. You can also DC charge in public, and the vehicle boasts a 43 kW peak charge acceptance rate. That means you’ll have its 38kWh battery topped up in under an hour. You could quickly grab 20 miles of range in about 15 minutes if the conditions were right. Plenty to get you back on the highway, or back to your house to the L2 charger you own. It’s a great system. Hassle-free. Zero range anxiety. In a pinch, you can add 400 miles of range in three minutes at any gas station on the planet. In my experience, PHEVs work great. All the benefits of EVs, no worries or hassles. However, remember I have the garage and all those chargers.

Should You Buy the Range Rover Sport Dynamic SE PHEV?
If you are reading this and you’re not my mom, it likely means you may want to buy a Range Rover. Or a PHEV. Or both. Here’s my advice. Lease one. But only get the PHEV version of the RR Sport if you prefer to plug in all the time. I mean ALL THE TIME. 

The Range Rover Sport offers an extensive range of powertrain options. In the SE Dynamic trim, you can opt for a three-liter six-cylinder, a 4.4-liter V8, or the one I tested, the PHEV. There is no bad choice, but you should make the selection with a solid understanding of how the PHEV performs best. As the expression goes, “choose accordingly.”

John Goreham is the Vice President of the New England Motor Press Association and an expert vehicle tester. John completed an engineering program with a focus on electric vehicles, followed by two decades of work in high-tech, biopharma, and the automotive supply chain before becoming a news contributor. He is a member of the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE int). In addition to his fourteen years of work at Torque News, John has published thousands of articles and reviews at American news outlets. He is known for offering unfiltered opinions on vehicle topics. You can connect with John on LinkedIn and follow his work on his personal X channel or on our X channel. John employs grammar and punctuation software when proofreading, and he sometimes uses image generation tools. 

Images by John Goreham