Update 7/1/2010: Range Rover LRX Unveiled as Evoque
Land Rover unveiled its Ranged Rover LRX as the Evoque today on the webcast. It will be available in summer of next year in Europe and in North America in the fall. Enough said, watch the webcast debut for yourself.
Watch the live reveal of the all-new compact Range Rover
Press Release»5/18/2010
It is confirmed that Land Rover’s new mini-SUV based on the LRX concept will be introduced later this year. Spy shots were taken a few days ago have shown that the production model of LRX will stay true to its concept design. Land Rover will be offering buyers the option of either a two or four-wheel drive. The two-wheel drive Land Rover LRX emits about 130 g/km of CO2, which deems it to be the cleanest mini-SUV that will ever come out of the Land Rover company.
According to the managing director Phil Popham, “A 2WD option is just one way in which we are developing our vehicles efficiency whilst adding to the Land Rover range and expanding our customer base.”
“We will continue to make the ‘world’s finest all-terrain vehicles’ for those customers who require 4WD but will also now offer an alternative to those that don’t,” Popham added.
Two-wheel or four-wheel drive, either case, the Land Rover LRX is one hot mini-SUV. And there will likely be a hybrid version of the LRX also. Jump to press release below for more details.
ALL-NEW RANGE ROVER EVOQUE MAKES GUEST APPEARANCE AT 40 YEAR CELEBRATION OF THE BRAND
- First image of all-new Range Rover released
- Officially named Range Rover Evoque
- Design stays true to LRX concept car
- Lightest, most fuel efficient Range Rover ever
- Third Range Rover model to compete in fuel-efficient 4WD Luxury Compact SUV segment in North America
- Official public debut at Paris Motor Show: 30 September
- On sale in North America Fall 2011Mahwah, New Jersey, July 1, 2010 – The first official picture of the all-new addition to the Range Rover family is released today, following an exclusive preview in London for guests attending a 40th birthday celebration of Range Rover held with long time U.K. Range Rover partner, VOGUE magazine*.
Named the Range Rover Evoque, this all-new coupé will join the Range Rover and Range Rover Sport in North American dealerships in fall, 2011. It will be the smallest, lightest and most fuel efficient Range Rover ever produced. The compact 4WD Range Rover Evoque is engineered to meet North American customer and regulatory demands for increased fuel efficiency in highly capable luxury SUVs.
Phil Popham, managing director of Land Rover, said, “Today is a very special occasion for Range Rover; not only are we celebrating 40 years of the brand, we are also demonstrating our exciting future by showing the all-new Range Rover Evoque. Range Rover is one of the most highly regarded and iconic vehicles in the history of motoring and has been a continuing success since we first introduced it in 1970. The all-new Range Rover Evoque is an important step for the future continued success and growth of the brand. Customers can be confident that the new car will be premium, luxurious and just as special as the other Range Rover models. Its sporting looks and unique qualities will open the brand to a new group of customers who may not have considered a Range Rover product before.
“The all-new Range Rover Evoque will be built at our multi-award winning plant in Halewood, creating 1,000 new jobs in the Merseyside area, a fantastic boost to the UK economy. The Halewood plant has a reputation for excellence and quality and is recognized throughout the industry as a leader in Lean Manufacturing.
“The all-new Range Rover Evoque is a true global car and will be sold in over 160 countries. It was important to give the car a name that was instantly recognizable through language and cultural boundaries throughout the world. We wanted to create a new name which was innovative and different. A name which implies exclusivity and arouses emotions, Evoque is cosmopolitan and cross-continental, sophisticated and matches the car’s urban elegance,” he added.
Gerry McGovern, Land Rover design director, said, “The Range Rover is an iconic design that has stood the test of time and it’s not difficult to see why. Like the current version, the original Range Rover is such a simple and memorable shape that is easily recognizable.
“The all-new Range Rover Evoque marks a bold evolution of Range Rover design, providing customers with a desirable, premium and compact car like SUV. In 2008 we introduced the LRX concept car: after a positive reception worldwide, the natural step for the business was to turn the LRX concept car into reality. Tonight we wanted to show the world that we have stayed true to our word and delivered a car that completely represents the spirit of the LRX concept.
“The all-new Range Rover Evoque will resonate with customers on an emotional level. Its unique silhouette accentuated by the distinctive falling roof and dramatic rising waistline creates a modern and relevant execution of the familiar Range Rover design language. This car makes a powerful statement of the Range Rover’s brand intent to appeal to a wider audience,” he added.
Chris Marchand, Executive Vice President of Land Rover North America, said,” The new Range Rover Evoque has a very clear mandate in North America to give luxury SUV customers another choice to enjoy Range Rover style, luxury and all terrain traction, but with a more compact, fuel efficient footprint. This is an incredibly important expansion of the Range Rover brand in this market.”
The all-new Range Rover Evoque will make its global public debut at the Paris Motor Show at the end of September and will go on sale from next summer and in North America in the fall.
LAND ROVER ANNOUNCES INTRODUCTION OF 2WD AND HYBRID TECHNOLOGY
Land Rover has announced that it will introduce a 2WD option (in addition to the 4WD derivative) for the new compact Range Rover. On sale in 2011, the 2WD vehicle will emit less than 130g/km of CO2 – making it the lightest, most fuel efficient Range Rover ever.
Jaguar Land Rover has committed to investing £800 million in developing environmental technologies and remains committed to developing vehicles with sustainable features which respond to customer demand.
Phil Popham, Land Rover managing director said: “Land Rover has announced that the all-new compact Range Rover will be available in 2WD. This is good news for the company and for our customers. A 2WD option is just one way in which we are developing our vehicles efficiency whilst adding to the Land Rover range and expanding our customer base. We will continue to make the ‘world’s finest all-terrain vehicles’ for those customers who require 4WD but will also now offer an alternative to those that don’t.”
As part of the introduction of 2WD, Land Rover will be focussing on three main areas of technology to reduce the weight of Land Rover vehicles, reduce parasitic losses and increase powertrain efficiency. The use of hybrid technology is also part of the significant developments for the larger vehicles in the range. The first diesel hybrid will be available in 2012 and on the road in 2013.
By the end of 2010 Land Rover will be testing the first diesel hybrid prototype called the ‘range_e’ which is being developed using a Range Rover Sport platform. Tests of this vehicle will use the existing 3.0 litre TDV6 diesel engine featuring a ZF 8-speed automatic transmission. The goal is to achieve a range of 20 miles using electric power only emitting less than 100 g/km of CO2 emissions and to achieve a top speed of around 120mph.
Land Rover has over 60 years of experience developing supremely capable vehicles with pioneering technology such as Terrain Response. Land Rover sells its vehicles in over 160 countries world-wide and is constantly looking at the market place and developing vehicles that customers in all these markets want to buy.
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