2019 Land Rover Range Rover: What's Changed

Most significant changes: New P400e plug-in-hybrid model can travel up to 31 miles in electric-only mode; adaptive cruise control with stop-and-go capability has improved operation

Price change: Starting prices are $1,510 higher on the base gas V-6 and diesel V-6 models but unchanged on other models. The $995 destination charge is unchanged.

On sale: Fall

Which should you buy, 2018 or 2019? 2019, unless you opt for a base V-6 model or find a good deal for the outgoing model year. With a 2018 base model, you’d avoid the price increase and get a bigger discount than on the 2019 model.

Related: 2019 Ranger Rover SV Coupe: More Exclusivity, Fewer Doors

Land Rover adds to the list of plug-in hybrids for 2019 with the Range Rover HSE P400e, the brand’s first plug-in hybrid. EPA estimates weren’t available as of this writing, but Land Rover says the plug-in hybrid can travel up to 31 miles in electric-only mode and the lithium-ion battery can recharge in less than three hours on a 220-volt charger or about 7.5 hours on a traditional household outlet. The P400e has a turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine, an eight-speed automatic transmission and permanent four-wheel drive. The engine and an electric motor combine for 398 horsepower.

The HSE P400e starts at $96,145 including destination, $1,100 more than the HSE gas V-6 and $900 less than the HSE diesel.

Another notable change is improved radar for the adaptive cruise control, which — like last year — can bring the vehicle to a complete stop in traffic. Last year’s roster returns with a choice of the supercharged 3.0-liter gas V-6, turbo-diesel 3.0-liter V-6 or supercharged 5.0-liter gas V-8. All models have an eight-speed automatic and permanent four-wheel drive. V-8 models are available in standard or long-wheelbase versions, the latter with 7.3 inches’ extra rear leg room.

Don’t confuse the Range Rover with the Range Rover Evoque, Range Rover Sport or Range Rover Velar — all different SUVs in Land Rover’s stable that are cheaper and smaller than the namesake’s original. As Land Rover’s flagship, the Range Rover is the most lavish SUV the brand has to offer, combining extreme off-road capability (it can ford water nearly 3 feet deep) with a cushy air suspension system, penthouse-like interior accommodations, and a long list of comfort, convenience, safety and driver assistance features.

One thing it can’t do: seat six or seven like many large SUVs. All models have seats for five.

With the starting price a two-martini lunch shy of $90,000 and the upper end at $208,895 for a long-wheelbase SV Autobiography, the Range Rover is out of reach for most. Despite the high prices, though, the Range Rover had strong sales in the first half of 2018, per Automotive News. The rare combination of extreme opulence and extreme off-road capability give the Range Rover and Range Rover Sport lasting appeal.

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