Instead, future generations of the Land Rover Discovery and the Range Rover will feature hybrid powertrains, according to Land Rover’s global brand director John Edwards, quoted by AutoExpress. The front-wheel-drive, 2.2 liter diesel versions of the baby SUV that will go on sale in the summer of 2011 achieved an emission rating under 130g/km CO2 and fuel economy of 50 mpg, similar to the levels that the LRX hybrid was targeting.
“Our approach to Evoque is more viable for the company and customers because hybrid technology on a relatively small car would load the price and add weight. That technology is better suited to larger cars, probably from Discovery upwards. Our engineers have done a great job reducing weight on Evoque,” argued Edwards.
The Evoque will come in three- and five-door body styles, with price tags between GBP 30,000 and GBP 45,000. Thanks to Range Rover's 4x4 legacy and the sales staff's persuasion eloquence, front-wheel-drive versions sales will account for less than 20% of total sales, considerably lower than most rival SUVs or crossovers, with 70 to 80 percent of buyers expected to be new customers.
In the meantime, Dr Ralf Speth, CEO of Jaguar-Land Rover, said he did not want to “make promises I cannot keep”, referring to the possibility of putting the Jaguar CX-75 into production.
“The CX-75 is a powerful statement of innovative technology and design. We have been surprised by the intensity of media and public reception. That has encouraged us to look a little bit deeper. But we must think about it very thoroughly and study if and how it could be built. It would involve a particular team and specific resources,” said Speth.
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