Engineers and test drivers of Land Rover are currently located in some of Europe’s hottest countries to evaluate the road behaviour of the next-generation Range Rover. Our spies were on site and managed to capture one of the test prototypes and it seems that it was powered by a plug-in hybrid powertrain.

There are two clear signs that this is indeed a PHEV version of the luxury SUV. First, the trial car has both a fuel cap and a charging port, which means you’ll be able to recharge it from either your home system or from a public charging station. Also, there’s a “Hybrid Electric Vehicle” sticker on the front window.

Gallery: New Land Rover Range Rover PHEV spy photos

Based on the electric-friendly MLA platform, the new Range Rover will be available with a wide assortment of combustion and electrified engines. We expect basically every option to have some sort of electric support and all models will be assembled on the same assembly line thanks to the smart new architecture.

As far as the plug-in hybrid version is concerned, it’s a little too early to say what’s happening under the bonnet. Currently, the Range Rover PHEV P400e has a combined output of 398 bhp (297 kilowatts) and 25 zero-emission miles (40 kilometres) at a single charge. We expect both figures to go up with the new generation of the model with a focus mainly on the range between two charges.

From the outside, the new Range Rover will look a lot like its predecessor but with a sleeker overall appearance and influences from the Range Rover Velar. Spy photos from earlier this year already confirmed there will be two versions of the premium SUV - standard and long wheelbase. A new Range Rover Sport is also currently in the works.

Look for an official debut of the new RR towards the end of this year or early 2022.