Range Rover posted a 90-second video on October 26 of its new GT finishing a test drive from the UK to Germany's Nürburgring and back. The video's description calls the electric grand tourer "the most aerodynamic Range Rover ever" and says it has the lowest center of gravity of any Range Rover to date. The camouflaged prototypes drove through Brussels and across Germany to the Nürburgring Test Center, Motor1 Italy reported. In Brussels, engineers tuned the suspension to soak up speed bumps and rough city pavement while keeping the body under control.
The video leans on one word. Carscoops noticed that Range Rover keeps calling the GT a car. That has been the pitch since July 22, when Range Rover confirmed the GT as the fifth member of the family, next to the Range Rover, Range Rover Sport, Velar, and Evoque. Managing director Martin Limpert called it "the most car-like, yet unmistakably capable, Range Rover ever created." Limpert has also framed Range Rover as a modern luxury business more than a car business.
The brand's US website goes further. It describes "the silhouette of a prestige sedan" and an electric GT with "a sleek silhouette and coupe proportions."
Lower than an Evoque, as long as a Sport
Range Rover hasn't published dimensions. Top Gear reported in July that the GT will sit lower than an Evoque but run as long as a Range Rover Sport, with four frameless doors. MotorTrend said the roof sits low for the length of the body, which reads closer to a tall wagon than an SUV.
Motor1 called the GT the brand's first model without an SUV stance. It has a fastback roof whose rear window slopes gently toward the tail, where very slim lights sit, and spy photos show slim, horizontal headlights and a closed-off nose, Motor1 reported in September.
Not everyone buys the car label. The Drive said it looks more like an aerodynamic crossover than a sedan, and closer to a Cadillac Lyriq than a Porsche Cayenne coupe. The writer also said it doesn't look all that different from the Velar. Top Gear compared it to an Evoque Convertible with a hard roof, and noted it was penned before Gerry McGovern, who became Land Rover's design director in 2006, left the company. Range Rover's in-house team based the gold pattern wrap on the topographic contours of the land around Gaydon, home of the brand's creative and engineering teams. The prototypes in the new video wear the same wrap.
Under the skin, the GT will be the first all-electric Range Rover on JLR's new EMA platform, built in Halewood, England, alongside gas and hybrid models. It launches as an EV, and a full hybrid will follow later in its life. Top Gear and Motor1 both reported that it won't replace the Velar.
Inside, Range Rover's July photos showed a single central screen, a driver display in place of normal gauges, and a hidden air vent running the width of the cabin. A 2+2 layout is standard, with a rear bench available, according to Motor1 and Top Gear.
There's no price or on-sale date yet. Range Rover said in July that more details would come later this year, and MotorTrend expects the GT to arrive in 2027.
Until the camouflage comes off, see how the Velar and Sport score on WhipJury.
Sources:
The October 26 video, its description, the aerodynamics and center of gravity claims, and the UK to Nürburgring route: Range Rover on YouTube
The route through Brussels and the suspension tuning: Motor1 Italy
The video calling the GT a car: Carscoops
The July 22 confirmation, the Limpert quote, the EMA platform, Halewood, the hybrid plan, the interior, and the camouflage: Range Rover
The prestige sedan and coupe proportions wording: Range Rover USA
The height, length, frameless doors, Velar, Evoque Convertible, seating, and McGovern: Top Gear
The low roofline, wagon look, and 2027 arrival: MotorTrend
The non-SUV stance, fastback roof, headlights, and closed nose: Motor1
The Velar, seating, and rear bench: Motor1
The crossover, Lyriq, and Velar comparisons: The Drive
McGovern's 2006 appointment as design director: JLR
Photos: Range Rover press images
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Jeffrey Wiley has spent more time than he'd like to admit thinking about what makes a car look right. He writes about automotive design, car culture, and the opinions people have strong feelings about. He lives in north Georgia.
