From last year's Detroit Auto Show to next year's dealer floor, the LRX is coming on fast and furious and going where no Land Rover has ever gone before...
.jpg)
From last year's Detroit Auto Show to next year's dealer floor, the LRX is coming on fast and furious and going where no Land Rover has ever gone before...
Going where no Land Rover has ever gone before has to be a metaphor, as Land Rovers have already been everywhere, right? OK, the concept LRX is becoming the production LRX - to be built in Gaydon, England - and it is taking the brand into unchartered territory. That of the verdant variety. Tata officially announced the plans to green light it at the Gaydon plant where the car will be designed and built. The LRX is designed to fill a niche market for compact, sporty SUVs that are also luxurious and eco-friendly. The new car is expected to feature a hybrid drive combination of either gas or diesel and electric propulsion.
"LRX has unmistakable Land Rover design... but it carries those essentials into a segment where the brand has never been before and with a proposed level of efficiency that would make it one of the cleanest vehicles in its class," said Land Rover's managing director Phil Popham.
Full technical details have not been announced but the LRX is likely to feature some of the innovative green features of the Detroit concept, including an integrated Electric Rear Axle Drive which allows it to retain full off-road ability in tough conditions. The electrical drive system of the LRX concept uses power stored in a dedicated, high-voltage capacity, lithium-ion battery pack independent of the normal 12-volt battery. This is kept charged by regenerative braking. Clearly, no Land Rover has gone there before. The concept also featured creative interior uses of recycled plastic, which sounds cheap, but Land Rover knows it has a lot riding on this and will have to carefully weigh eco-friendliness vs. luxury-mindedness. Stay tuned...
Sign up and receive once every 2 weeks
Select Your Vehicle
