Our original thought was that the Range Rover Sport plug-in hybrid, seen here after the drivers removed its high voltage stickers, would not make it stateside. For one, we assumed the non-electric motor would run off diesel fuel, like in the current Range Rover hybrid which features a 3.0-liter diesel V6 and is not sold stateside. That theory was debunked by our spies, who said a four-cylinder gas engine is expected under the hood. Then we heard that Auto Express had spy shots of the RR Sport PHEV testing in the US (these photos were taken in Sweden).

Looks like our initial assumption was wrong. Bringing a plug-in Range Rover Sport to the US makes a lot of sense. Americans love them some hybrid cars and especially love buying SUVs. If Porsche can sell a plug-in Cayenne then why can't Land Rover sell a Range Rover Sport PHEV?! It's not like anyone will off-road this thing. The output of the electric motor is unknown. It will offer some all-electric range with a major emphasis on "some." The 2.0-liter four-banger in the Range Rover Evoque, good for 240 horsepower and 250 lb-ft of torque in the baby SUV, should be what Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) decides to drop under the hood. A diesel option should also be available outside the US.

Like many car companies JLR has decided that its future will be electrified. The all-electric Jaguar I-Pace will hit in 2018 and promises a range of 220 miles and a power output of 400 ponies. A plug-in hybrid Range Rover Sport may seem odd at this point in time but electrified models such as this will soon be the norm across the automaker's entire lineup. At least they'll look pretty.