Range Rover PHEV first vehicle up the Dragon Road to Heaven’s Gate

The new Range Rover Sport PHEV has completed a world-first at one of China’s most famous landmarks.

The petrol-electric performance SUV has become the first vehicle to climb the stairs to the natural rock arch of Heaven’s Gate.

The challenge began at the bottom of the 11.3km Tianmen Mountain Road (known as the Dragon Road) and involved 99 turns and 999 steps.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xBJ2h967VxA&feature=youtu.be

The showroom standard Range Rover Sport P400e was driven by Panasonic Jaguar Racing’s Ho-Pin Tung.

The vehicle’s Terrain Response 2 system was kept in Dynamic mode.

At the summit, Formula E driver Tung optimised Terrain Response for the second part of the challenge, conquering the towering 45-degree staircase of 999 steps leading to Heaven’s Gate.

He used a combination of Ingenium petrol and electric battery power.

“I’ve experienced Formula E, Formula 1 and won at the 24 Hours of Le Mans, but this was without doubt one of the most demanding driving challenges I’ve ever faced,” Tung says.

The new PHEV powertrain gives the Range Rover Sport a zero-emission EV range of up to 50km when fully charged, but Tung used its advanced 221kW Ingenium petrol engine and 85kW electric motor to make short work of the road section.

The Dragon Challenge is the latest in a series of adventures completed by the Range Rover Sport after the PHEV model made its debut in a race against two-time open-water swimming world champion Keri-anne Payne and endurance athlete Ross Edgley in Devon, UK.

Previous exploits include a record-setting hill-climb at Pikes Peak, USA, a record crossing of the ‘Empty Quarter’ desert in the Arabian Peninsula and a 2170m descent of the Inferno downhill course in Mürren, Switzerland.