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The new Range Rover Electric has completed a second round of winter testing ahead of its launch.

Key aspects put to the test included the EV's new thermal management system: how well it could heat the cabin and maintain rapid-charging performance in extreme sub-zero temperatures.

The prototypes also faced high-angle inclines and declines on frozen surfaces, testing that their one-pedal driving modes (using the motors' regenerative effect to slow and stop the car while off the throttle) work across a range of terrains.

"Rigorous testing procedures in extreme and unpredictable conditions like those experienced in Arjeplog [Sweden] are crucial to Range Rover Electric's real-world reliability and resilience," said JLR product engineering chief Thomas Müller.

JLR has also confirmed that the Range Rover Electric uses a 117kWh battery pack designed and assembled in-house, comprising 344 prismatic cells and running at 800V.

The firm has yet to detail a range figure, but such a large capacity should comfortably yield more than 300 miles between charges.

The winter testing comes after prototypes were last year driven in the UAE in temperatures approaching 50deg C.

They were sent up Big Red, a 300ft sand dune in the heart of Sharjah’s Al Badayer desert, to test the EV’s new Intelligent Torque Management system, which replaces a conventional ABS-based traction control system.

This is claimed to improve traction control off road by diverting power to each electric motor to reduce torque reaction time from around 100 milliseconds to as little as one millisecond. JLR says, after five continuous attempts, none of the cars demonstrated any fall in performance. 

Müller said: “A hot climate is one of the most challenging for any battery-electric vehicle, because of the need to cool the cabin and optimise battery performance at the same time. 

“The additional challenge of driving on sand requires controlled low-speed torque, so our specially developed traction control and thermal management systems work in harmony to ensure power delivery is unaffected. 

“Our tests have shown that in this climate, repeatedly driving the equivalent of 100 metres uphill on fine sand, Range Rover Electric matches the performance of its ICE equivalents; in some instances, even surpassing them – thanks to the introduction of these new features.”

Like the cars pictured in the Arctic Circle, these Range Rover EV mules are  shown completely uncamouflaged – a decision made to "underline the build quality of the initial prototypes", according to JLR.

Painted all in black and without the contrasting matt trim elements that JLR has previously suggested will mark out the EV powertrain, the prototype looks all but identical to the ICE Range Rover that has been on sale since 2022.

JLR said this shows how the prototype's "modernist design language stays true to the Range Rover bloodline", suggesting that the Range Rover Electric – as it is officially named – will only be subtly differentiated from the straight-six, V8 and plug-in hybrid derivatives. 

JLR previously highlighted that this is the first car to use a battery and electric drive unit assembled in-house.

Although bosses have yet to give any performance details for the new Range Rover, it has been promised to have the same “go-anywhere” capability as the ICE version, with a pledge that it will offer towing, wading and all-terrain capability that will exceed any other luxury electric SUV – including the ability to wade through 850mm-deep water.

The hint that the Range Rover Electric will offer performance “comparable” to the existing V8 suggests a total output close to the 523bhp that model offers.

It's expected to adopt a dual-motor system, which will allow for greater four-wheel-drive ability and systems such as torque vectoring to boost its off-road potential. 

JLR said its test programme has been adapted to particularly examine the vehicle’s underfloor, battery durability and thermal derating. 

The Range Rover Electric will be built in Solihull alongside the existing mild-hybrid and PHEV versions. It will initially use batteries from a third-party supplier before eventually switching to packs produced in the new Somerset gigafactory that JLR parent firm Tata is planning. 

BYD-owned premium brand Denza has lifted the covers off a new concept previewing a Porsche 911 and Maserati Granturismo rival.

Named the Denza Z, it's an electric coupé with a cab-forward design typical of midship sports cars. However, it can also seat two small rear passengers, in similar fashion to the 911 and Mercedes-AMG GT.

Detailed specifications have yet to be revealed, but its low-set, wide-hipped design and large rear wing clearly signal a performance-focused intent.

For reference, the Denza Z9 GT, a Porsche Taycan rival, offers a tri-motor powertrain with a combined output of 952bhp, suggesting the Z could nudge the 1000bhp mark.

No doubt the Z will also replicate some of the Z9 GT’s more novel features, such as its ability to ‘crab walk’, effectively sliding sideways by sending power to individual wheels.

Notably, the Z does away with a traditional steering rack for a new steer-by-wire system, which has no physical link between the front end and the interior. The electronic set-up is claimed to provide a better balance between a smooth feel when cruising and responsiveness in more spirited driving. It also allows the racing-inspired flat-bottomed steering wheel to fold away when not in use.

The Z rides on new magnetorheological dampers that are said to be capable of adapting to changes in the road surface in less than 10ms.

The new car comes just after Denza kicked off its expansion into Europe, targeting Porsche and similar upmarket performance brands. 

BYD executive vice-president Stella Li told Autocar that entering this market would be “not too much of a challenge”, emphasising the cars’ performance, plus styling led by former Audi designer Wolfgang Egger.

The bosses of Citroën and Dacia have warned that increasingly stringent car safety standards are threatening the affordability of their models – but safety test bodies say the rules are an important indicator for buyers as roads get ever busier and cars become more complex.

Citroën’s Thierry Koskas and Dacia’s Denis Le Vot have said that while they accept governmental efforts to improve vehicle safety each year (within the European Union’s GSR2 legislative framework), the higher standards set by testing bodies such as Euro NCAP are out of step with consumers’ expectations.

Key to this are the safety test ratings. Vehicles can score up to fi ve stars, which, according to Euro NCAP, tell a buyer how safe a car is. From next year, in order to achieve the top rating, a car must show “overall excellent performance in crash protection and be well equipped with state-of-the-art crash avoidance technology”. This includes both passive safety systems (such as airbags, seatbelts and crumple zones) and active ones (advanced driver assistance systems).

Current five-star cars include the £54k MercedesBenz E-Class and the £35k Skoda Superb. 

The rating system is set to be made stricter in 2026.

Koskas and Le Vot argue that in order to hit affordable price points, they are not able to fit the expensive “state-of-the-art” safety tech demanded by the highest ratings. For example, Dacia’s new £18k Duster (the cheapest SUV on the market) was given three stars by Euro NCAP.

We have nothing against NCAP,” said Le Vot recently, “but when this active safety race for stars came, we were not into that. We were saying at the time: ‘We are not chasing the stars, we are not chasing the stars, we are not chasing the stars.’

“We care much about passive safety, of course. We follow regulations one by one by one. But this is NCAP [miming a staircase] and this is regulation [miming another below that]. So we are more on the regulation [staircase].

The level of safety our cars are giving is great. It’s maybe not the high post in terms of a Euro NCAP score, but it’s great.”

Koskas agreed: “Our position is very simple: it’s our mission just to comply with regulations that are already at a very high standard. The governments take care of their people; they put what is necessary to them in terms of regulation; and I do not see any need to go further.”

However, Euro NCAP board member and Thatcham Research chief technical offi cer Richard Billyeald argues that the higher standards demanded by regulators, and the star ratings that come attached to them, are important to buyers of new cars.

“Euro NCAP has always pushed way beyond legislation, and that’s what it’s designed to do,” he said. “Legislation has to be a very low bar: it has to be quite broad and pick up on the fundamentals. Euro NCAP pushes technology. It is about what is possible, what can the technology do to push the safety envelope, to improve things.”

Nevertheless, Billyeald agreed that it is more of a challenge for car makers such as Citroën and Dacia that are pushing for a lower price point. He argued that while they can’t fit systems that “have all the bells and whistles”, they could “target [safety] in different places”, such as in terms of usability.

With reference to star ratings, Billyeald added: “I think you do need that simplicity. For example, my mum is not going to buy a car based on [test] percentages; she’s going to look at the star rating and inherently know what that means. So I think the concept is absolutely right.”

However, the speed at which technology is evolving means cars – like smartphones – are becoming outdated quickly in the eyes of regulators, according to Koskas. This means that unless manufacturers make costly alterations, cars will have their safety ratings reduced.

“Look at the previous-generation C3,” he said. “It had a four-star rating, but now it would be a zero-star car. This does not mean that the car is not safe; it just means the barrier for safety has increased.”

Another criticism is how these active safety systems are presented at a user level. For example, Autocar’s testers have been critical of some ADAS, especially those that monitor the driver’s behaviour and identify posted speed limits.

While new cars are legally required to have these systems fi tted, some car manufacturers – including Citroën and Dacia – fit buttons that allow drivers to turn the systems off, if only for the duration of that particular journey.

“I would happily make a bet on what percentage of customers press that button,” said Koskas. “I have to confess that every time I drive my ë-C4, I turn it off, because it’s just annoying.”

This is something that is understood by the regulators, said Billyeald, and is an area they are working on.

“We want drivers to use those systems,” he said. “There’s nothing inherently wrong with the technologies and with the intention of the technologies; it is about how usable they are. So let’s maximise the safety benefi ts, the driver support, minimise the distraction and the wanting to turn things off.”

Euro NCAP sharpening tech focus

From January next year, the safety barrier set by Euro NCAP will rise again. The new regulations will expand the current evaluation beyond crash scenarios to include driver engagement, assistance systems and emergency response capabilities.

To do this, Euro NCAP is set to introduce assessments across four categories: Safe Driving (driver monitoring and vehicle assistance), Crash Avoidance (systems that actively prevent collisions), Crash Protection (occupant safety) and Post-Crash Safety (assessment of eCall emergency response systems).

Euro NCAP says these updates form part of its commitment to Vision Zero – a strategy to eliminate traffic-related fatalities – and aim to align safety assessments with the latest advances in vehicle technology.

What Euro NCAP ratings actually mean

Five stars: Overall excellent performance in crash protection and well equipped with state-of-the-art crashavoidance technology.

Four stars: Overall good performance in crash protection and prevention but does not reach the highest standards in all key areas.

Three stars: A vehicle that provides an average level of safety performance, offering a medium standard of safety and protection.

Two stars: Nominal crash protection but below-average performance in one or more key areas.

One star: Marginal crash protection and minimal crash-avoidance technology beyond the legal requirements.

Zero stars: Meeting legally required type-approval standards so can legally be sold but lacking critical safety technology.