Range Rover discounts reportedly approach 60 % in China as demand collapses. Locally built Evoque L SUV costs as little as $27,000, Bloomberg investigation reveals. News comes as JLR adds hybrid option to EV-only baby Defender for ICE-loving US. Poor old JLR can’t seem to get it right. The company confirmed today it’s re-engineering its upcoming baby Defender to accommodate hybrid powertrains because EV demand isn’t growing fast enough in gas-loving America. But also today we heard about a very different problem for the British automaker on the other side of the world, where EV obsession means ICE Range Rovers are being brutally discounted in China to secure a sale. According to a report from Chinese media outlet Jiemian, a locally built Range Rover Evoque L has recently been advertised for as little as 179,800 yuan, equivalent to around $26,600. That’s nearly 60%, or a whopping $36,900 less than its official list price of 429,800 yuan ($63,500) and a startling discount for a premium SUV wearing one of the most prestigious badges in the business. Gas Cars Are Bleeding Value Across China The Evoque’s plight isn’t unique. Data shows discounts on gasoline-powered cars climbing sharply from January to May 2026 as dealers struggle to move inventory. According to data from the China Passenger Car Association, the average gasoline-car discount ran to 33,000 yuan ($4,900) over the first five months of the year, nearly double the 17,000 yuan ($2,500) dealers were knocking off a year earlier. Also: Range Rover Sport Is Getting Its First EV, But It Won’t Take The V8 Down With It EVs and plug-in hybrids are holding up far better, reflecting just how rapidly Chinese buyers have embraced electrified vehicles. The situation has become particularly painful in the used-car market. As more motorists trade combustion-powered vehicles for EVs, resale values have fallen sharply, creating a vicious cycle that makes buyers increasingly nervous about purchasing another gasoline vehicle. In May alone, the average ICE transaction price dropped 19 percent, and a typical three-year-old used car is now only worth 38 percent of its original value, versus 60 percent in 2023, Bloomberg reports. US Wants MORE Gas Cars It’s fascinating how this contrasts with the announcement JLR made the very same day. The British automaker confirmed that its new compact Defender (above), along with future EMA-based models widely expected to include the next Velar and Evoque, will now offer a full hybrid option despite originally being conceived as EVs. That move appears heavily influenced by disappointing EV sales in America, now JLR’s biggest market. While Chinese buyers are rapidly abandoning combustion power – and JLR products in general, forcing the company to withdraw Western-style vehicles – many US customers remain hesitant to make the jump to fully electric vehicles. It’s a perfect illustration of the challenge facing every global automaker. Build too many EVs and you risk missing sales in America. Build too many gasoline cars and you could end up slashing prices in China. For companies like JLR, navigating that divide is complicated, expensive and full of risk. JLR, Baldauf
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