Range Rover LRX confirmed for greener Land Rover

By George Skentzos | September 24th, 2009

Almost two years after it first made its debut as a concept at the Detroit Motor Show, Land Rover has today confirmed the a production version of its exciting LRX concept car will be built.

The production LRX will join the Range Rover line-up in 2011 as the smallest, lightest and most efficient vehicle the company has ever produced.

With the help of a grant offer from the UK government worth A$57.4 million, the new model will be built at the multi award-winning plant in Halewood, on Merseyside and will be sold in over 100 countries around the world.

Phil Popham, managing director of Land Rover said: “The production of a small Range Rover model is excellent news for our employees, dealers and customers. It is a demonstration of our commitment to investing for the future, to continue to deliver relevant vehicles for our customers, with the outstanding breadth of capability for which we are world-renowned.”

The decision to build the LRX would have been an easy one for Land Rover with the company today also announcing a new business plan designed to increase its global competitiveness significantly, drive growth and sustained profitability, and respond to the challenges of climate change.

“Feedback from our customer research also fully supports our belief that a production version of the LRX Concept would further raise the desirability of our brand and absolutely meet their expectations.” Phil added.

A hybrid variant has been all but confirmed, with an all-electric model also a strong possibility with the brand aiming to significantly reduce fuel consumption and carbon emissions.

Its design will remain virtually identical to the concept, with Land Rover design director, Gerry McGovern, adding that it would include the signature clamshell bonnet, the floating roof and the solid ‘wheel-at-each-corner’ stance.

Devil666

I don’t like Range Rovers.

I don’t mind the Discovery 4.

But this, I like.

If they can fix the inherent genetic problems with RR DNA but maintain the usual high standard of off road gusto, I’d buy one.
Alex

I’m sure it will be a brilliant car, but is anybody else getting a bit sick of them throwing the Range Rover name plate around? Surely the Range Rover badge should aim to keep a shred of exclusivity? I could just about deal with Sport when it came out, in fact I ended up owning one for a while, but at least the Sport is still big and imposing. This may well be smaller than the Freelander.
It does look imposing, but once they’ve toned it down, which they inevitably will considering the rear window is smaller than one of the wheels, it may not be anymore.
I suppose I’m just not sure if Range Rovers are meant to be as agreeable and accessible as the LRX will be and the only thing making it a Range Rover will be the badge and they’ve obviously only done that to chase sales.
Still, I suppose anything to keep the Vogue in production. And at the end of the day, I was outraged when I heard they were building the Sport but as I previously wrote, I owned one for a while. I just hope that Range Rovers don’t become down class.
Shak

I don’t think RR’s will ever become down classed no matter how little they sell for. This is one of the more aggressive and stunning looking concepts from RR. Lets hope they mean it when they say the production model will remain true to the concept.
c3vzn

I don’t think this will be toned down…the sketch/render is supposed to be of the real thing.
ZX10

Nice looks but not sure it will have a realistic price being built in the UK and exported.
Not that I’ll buy one, but it would be good to see them opt for a diesel hybrid.
Neo Utopia

Looks pretty darn fine to me, I was never a big admirer of the large Range Rovers which like the Landcruiser are just too big for the many small car parks. I aggree, it should have a diesel-electric drive.