Upcoming Electric Range Rover and Sport Will Arrive in India as Full Imports

UPDATE - follow-up to JLR to launch electric versions of the Range Rover and the Sport as full imports: Electric versions of the Range Rover and Range Rover Sport will launch in India as completely built-up units, or CBU imports, when they arrive in the second half of 2027. Speaking to Autocar India, Range Rover global managing director Martin Limpert stated that the company wants to test the market first and see how it responds before deciding on any local assembly. This decision comes even though the electric models share the MLA-Flex platform and the same manufacturing line as their petrol and diesel counterparts, which are currently built locally in India due to high demand. Over 80 percent of the manufacturer's sales in the 2026 financial year came from the Defender, Range Rover, and Range Rover Sport models. Furthermore, the India-UK Free Trade Agreement does not offer any tax concessions for electric vehicles for the first five years, making local assembly a logical step on paper. However, JLR is in no hurry to shift production, with Limpert noting that the brand has protected its flexible powertrain strategy and does not need to push any single option. According to Autocar UK, the development of the new electric models took four years, with JLR designing all major electrical drive components in-house, including the motors and battery. The styling remains identical to combustion models, though the electric Range Rover features a towing capacity of 2.5 tonnes compared to the standard 3.5 tonnes.

Context

Automakers often launch high-end electric vehicles as full imports into the Indian market to test buyer interest and evaluate infrastructure readiness before making heavy investments in local manufacturing plants. High import duties on fully built cars usually mean these initial units carry a higher price tag than their locally assembled fuel-powered equivalents.