Range Rover has confirmed an entirely new fifth vehicle: the Range Rover GT, an all-electric grand tourer built on the company's Electrified Modular Architecture (EMA), the same platform that will underpin other midsized cars for the brand, according to WIRED. The GT will be manufactured at JLR's Halewood plant in the UK, with a full launch expected later this year and customer deliveries commencing in 2027.
Platform and Production Details
The GT is the first model in Range Rover's lineup to be built on the EMA architecture, which will also power the next-generation replacements for the Evoque EV, the Land Rover Discovery Sport, an electric Range Rover Velar successor, and the incoming "Baby Defender." This platform aggregation means Halewood will produce multiple midsized EVs and hybrids on a single architecture, enabling production-line flexibility and cost synergies.
However, the EMA platform is distinct from the Modular Longitudinal Architecture (MLA) used for the larger Range Rover Electric (built in Solihull) and for the Jaguar Type 01 – Jaguar's own all-electric four-door grand tourer also arriving in 2027. Crucially, while the GT will launch as an EV, Range Rover confirmed that hybrid options will follow “later in the lifecycle” of the car. Jaguar, in contrast, is committed to being an electric-only brand, despite the MLA platform being capable of supporting mild-hybrid and full-hybrid variants.
Brand Positioning and Potential Overlap
The GT's sleek silhouette and coupé proportions are more typically associated with Jaguar than with Range Rover's SUV-centric lineup. This has raised concerns about cannibalisation between the two sister brands under parent company JLR.
In a statement, Martin Limpert, global managing director at Range Rover, said the Range Rover GT is intended to “redefine the grand-touring segment” with its “GT poise, proportions and long-distance refinement,” adding that the EV will offer “capabilities no conventional GT can match.” Limpert emphasised that the GT will retain off-road capability, stating: “The result is the most car-like Range Rover ever created. Its blend of effortless EV performance, first-class long-haul refinement, and all-terrain capability is pure Range Rover, while its interior previews our vision of a modern grand tourer.”
When asked whether the GT and Jaguar Type 01 are competing for the same customer, a Range Rover spokesperson replied: “Range Rover and Jaguar are two very different brands, and the vehicles sold under each are very different propositions. Jaguar Type 01 is an electric four-door luxury GT, while Range Rover GT... [different].” The spokesperson did not elaborate on how JLR will manage production volume allocations between the two plants.
Manufacturing Implications for JLR
For industrial executives, the key takeaways are the platform-specific production footprints:
| Plant | Platform | Key Models | Production Start |
|---|---|---|---|
| Halewood (UK) | EMA | Range Rover GT, next-gen Evoque EV, Discovery Sport, Velar EV, 'Baby Defender' | GT: 2027; others likely phased from 2026 |
| Solihull (UK) | MLA | Range Rover Electric, Jaguar Type 01 | Range Rover Electric: 2026?; Type 01: 2027 |
- The Halewood plant becomes the hub for midsize electrified models, with the GT adding a new bodystyle to the plant's output mix.
- Solihull remains the site for larger vehicles and the Jaguar brand's revival, with the Type 01 on MLA.
- JLR is splitting its EV architecture by size class, which may limit cross-platform production flexibility but allows dedicated optimisation for each segment.
The GT's interior reveals a clean, minimalist cabin with a wide driver display and central screen, but no dedicated physical switchgear – even for climate control – relying entirely on touchscreens. This design choice may influence supplier requirements for HMI components.
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