Hybrid favour is spreading across the motor industry in a last-ditch effort to meet EU emissions standards or face hefty fines. For smaller cars that challenge can be easier, but for larger 4x4s the challenge is great.

Land Rover has risen to that challenge with the new Range Rover Sport P400e model, a luxury-end SUV that combines petrol power with a mild hybrid plug-in drive system. For Range Rover buyers and indeed buyers of other brands, the question is how does this hybrid compare with the established diesel offering for the same SUV?

On face value, both diesel and petrol versions of the Range Rover Sport look the same. All of the luxury features of the Range Rover Sport are retained across both drive options. What’s different is the power source and for those with trailer towing ambitions, the hybrid drive comes with some significant shortcomings.

I looked at the diesel v hybrid comparison for this article after I drove the Plug-in Hybrid (PHEV) version of the Range Rover Sport in recent weeks. There are significant differences in terms of the power available, with the PHEV version coming out well on top compared with the popular 3.0-litre V6 diesel engine Range Rover Sport.

The Range Rover Sport PHEV has all of the space and comfort features of the diesel models with the battery pack tucked neatly under the boot, which takes away from the ability to provide a spare wheel.

This hybrid boosted petrol engine is a powerful four-cylinder unit with the addition of an extra 140hp from the hybrid system. That delivers some pace pushing the acceleration to 6.7 seconds from a 0km to 100km move. That’s impressive pace for a car that weighs in at over 2.5t.

The hybrid makes this Range Rover Sport lively to drive, but there is a downside.

Charging the Range Rover Sport PHEV at the public point in Mohill, Co Leitrim, shows the availability of charging access, which we are assured will improve before the end of 2019.

This is petrol-powered and while the hybrid-drive system is good for 50km, after that its petrol engine mode and economy numbers split between the hybrid and diesel versions.

Land Rover must be aware of this and fit a larger 91-litre capacity fuel tank to the hybrid version – that’s five litres more than its diesel counterpart.

I soon found that in practice my driving experience delivered an economy level that matched that of diesel

I drove longer runs than would show the true benefits of the hybrid drive, which excels in city and short rural commutes.

I soon found that in practice my driving experience delivered an economy level that matched that of diesel, even after three plug-in charging sessions that each should have given me 150km of “free” driving.

The Range Rover Sport PHEV was fitted with Continental 275/45 R21 tyres on a big five stud axle with red brake callipers for sporty effect.

Add to that the towing shortcomings where the diesel Range Rover Sport still delivers a 3.5t towing rating, while its hybrid counterpart loses 1t from its towing ability.

For rural drivers who often pull horseboxes and trailers, I expect that adding the smaller towed load will penalise the economy figures even more.

That obviously registers a word of caution when it comes to hybrid drive choices for towing cars and 4x4s.

There are a lot of technology features in this new hybrid drive system that offer driver options to maximise the benefits of the system in terms of fuel saving.

There is a “save” function to save battery power for city driving and run on petrol.

The Range Rover Sport PHEV has all of the space and comfort features of the diesel models with the battery pack tucked neatly under the boot, which takes away from the ability to provide a spare wheel.

The Range Rover Sport also offers a “predictive energy optimisation” mode that automatically switches the best fuel source, petrol or electric, to meet the energy needs of the journey based on the satnav information. And there is a full EV mode which is electric-only power, where engine cuts in on power demands and where battery level drops.

Land Rover claims that 7.5 hours or an overnight charge will give the full 50km range

The PHEV hybrid system is easy to use from a home or public charging point. The charging point is discretely fitted to the front grille for easy access.

Land Rover claims that 7.5 hours or an overnight charge will give the full 50km range.

The dash layout on the Range Rover Sport PHEV looks similar to the diesel version while there is an eco display on the dash in place of a rev counter and I would prefer to have seen a rev counter included to maximise driving control.

In every other sense, this Range Rover Sport is similar to what the diesel version offers. You can expect it to have the same off-road 4x4 performance.

It matches the river wading depth of the diesel version, so feels safe in difficult conditions. It certainly offers the same comfort on the road, with the air suspension system providing the legendary Range Rover comfort.

Land Rover combines a 2.0-litre petrol engine with an electric hybrid drive system in the Range Rover Sport PHEV to give a combination of 404bhp and that delivers impressive acceleration but not enough towing power.

Range Rover prices are high and the price differences between the PHEV hybrid version and its diesel counterpart are not significant.

Entry prices start from €90,045 or £74,515 in Northern Ireland and that’s marginally higher than diesel prices.

For most rural drivers, the diesel choice continues to make the most sense in terms of longer-drive economy and towing ability.

The future remains uncertain and much of the future choices will be influenced by Government policies on fuel usage.

For the present, the Range Rover Sport continues to make more sense in diesel power, but be aware that times are changing.