Land Rover has officially confirmed that it will build a production version of the LRX concept, which was introduced at the Detroit auto show in January 2008. The production Range Rover LRX will be the smallest, lightest and most efficient vehicle model in the luxury brand’s line-up and will make its auto show debut late next year, probably at the 2010 Los Angeles auto show.
According to the manufacturer the three-door crossover will debut in production form next year to mark the 40th anniversary from the launch of the first Range Rover in 1970 and go on sale in North America and Western Europe in 2011. The four-door version is also confirmed but for later.
“The production of a small Range Rover model is excellent news for our employees, dealers and customers,” said Phil Popham, managing director of Land Rover. “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.”
“The new vehicle will be a natural extension to the Range Rover line-up, complementing the existing models and helping to define a new segment. It will be true to the concept and have many recognizable Range Rover design cues including the signature clamshell bonnet, the floating roof and the solid ‘wheel-at-each-corner’ stance,” said Gerry McGovern, Land Rover design director.
Land Rover has not disclosed any information regarding the powertrain of the LRX. The production version of the vehicle will be built at the Land Rover plant in Halewood, on Merseyside, and is expected to be sold in more than 100 countries around the world.
