TIMES may be hard for Jaguar-Land Rover, but a global sales slow-down can't be seen to interfere with the pace of progress.

And there's plenty of development going on behind the scenes as the British luxury car maker attempts to recover lost ground.

The latest innovation comes from Land Rover with the launch of a brand-new British developed and manufactured powertrain which combines a high performance petrol engine with mild electric hybrid power.

The all-new 395bhp, in-line six-cylinder Ingenium engine is more responsive and better balanced than the previous V6 petrol unit, according to the company. With 550Nm of torque, it powers the Range Rover Sport from 0-60mph in 5.9 seconds and on to a top speed of 140mph.

The new engine has an electric supercharger supported by a twin-scroll turbocharger which virtually eliminates turbo lag.

The new engine is underpinned by a new Mild Hybrid Electric Vehicle (MHEV) powertrain which helps boost fuel economy of 30.5mpg and keep CO emissions down to 213g/km on the new NEDC combined cycle. This, says Land Rover, is the latest step it has taken towards meeting its commitment of offering an electrified option on all new models from 2020.

The system is based around an all-new start-stop facility which switches off when stationary and pairs the engine with an electric motor. This allows the system to harvest energy through regenerative braking and store it in a 48V battery.

Designed and developed in-house by Jaguar Land Rover, the new Ingenium engine will be manufactured at the company's £1billion engine manufacturing centre in Wolverhampton alongside the current four-cylinder petrol and diesel units.

The new engine and power train are available initially on a special edition Range Rover Sport HST model, costing from £81,250, which comes with a number of interior and exterior updates including bespoke badging and carbon fibre trim on the bonnet, front grille, side vents and tailgate. Red brake calipers sit behind the alloy wheels which are available in a choice of two designs.

Inside, there are 16-way dynamic front seats featuring an updated colour pattern, suede cloth detailing on the steering wheel and gear lever, satin chrome gear shift paddles and an HST badged facia. In addition, the available suite of safety enhancements includes optional adaptive cruise control - featuring Stop & Go and Steering Assist - alongside high speed emergency braking.