Range Rover Sport PHEV is the first SUV to climb to Heaven's Gate

A dizzying 99 turns and 999 daunting steps didn't stop the new Range Rover Sport PHEV from completing a world-first at one of China's most famous landmarks. The petrol-electric performance Sport Utility Vehicle (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 legendary 11.3km Tianmen Mountain Road (known as the Dragon Road). The showroom standard Range Rover Sport P400e took on the demanding course, with Ho-Pin Tung of Panasonic Jaguar Racing behind the wheel and the Terrain Response 2 system in Dynamic mode.

The new PHEV powertrain gives the Range Rover Sport a zero-emission EV range of up to 50km when fully charged but Ho-Pin Tung used its advanced 296bhp Ingenium petrol engine and 114bhp electric motor to make short work of the road section of the challenge. The performance SUV then showed its uncompromised all-terrain credentials by climbing the steep staircase to the natural rock arch.