Land Rover has quietly launched its first ever hybrid models – the Range Rover Hybrid and Range Rover Sport Hybrid. Both models share an identical powertrain and are the world’s first premium diesel SUV hybrids.

The 3.0-litre SDV8 diesel engine works in tandem with a 35kW electric motor linked to an 8-speed ZF automatic transmission. The whole hybrid system, including lithium ion battery pack, inverter and electric motor weighs less than 120kg.

Combined power output is 335bhp and 700Nm of torque. In purely EV mode the Range Rover Hybrid can travel at speeds of up to 30mph for a range of up to one mile before the diesel engine kicks in.

The Range Rover Hybrid accelerates from 0-62 mph in 6.9 seconds and the Sport Hybrid does it in 6.7 seconds. The top speed is 135 and 140mph respectively. Combined fuel consumption is on both models 44.1mpg with CO2 emissions of 169g/km.

To demonstrate the capabilities of the new hybrids, three Range Rover Hybrids embarked today Thursday, 22 August on an epic trip called ‘Silk Trail 2013′, from the home of the Range Rover brand in Solihull to the home of the parent company Tata, in Mumbai, India with a scheduled arrival on October 15.

Order books will open from September 10 with first deliveries in early 2014.