Land Rover Confirms 2WD and Hybrid Tech Introduction

After different sources pointed to the introduction of a front wheel drive and a hybrid vehicle Land Rover in the years to come, the British manufacturer made it official today. The company announced it will introduce a 2WD option, in addition to the existing 4WD for the new compact Range Rover.

The new 2WD vehicle is expected to go on sale in 2011 and, as Land Rover brags, it will emit less than 130 g/km of CO2.

"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 customer,” Phil Popham, Land Rover managing director, said in a release.

“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,” added Popham. “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."

According to the official statement, 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.

The first diesel hybrid prototype called the 'range_e' will enter testing by the end of this year. The vehicle will use the existing 3.0 litre TDV6 diesel engine featuring a ZF 8-speed automatic transmission. The carmaker aims to achieve a range of 20 miles using electric power only emitting less than 100 g/km of CO2 and achieve a top speed of around 120 mph.