Land Rover considering new seven-seater SUV

Posted Tue Jun 24 2008 8:13 AM by Siddharth Raja

With the financial backing of Indian parent company Tata Motors, British carmakers Jaguar and Land Rover now have the freedom to expand their lineups with new models that previously would have been too costly. Jaguar is reportedly working on a new sports car aimed at the Porsche 911 as well as several variants of the XF sedan including a coupe and wagon, while Land Rover is tipped to be working on a production version of its LRX concept vehicle.

New reports claim the SUV brand is also working on a seven-seater model based on the Freelander/LR2 (pictured) platform due for launch in 2012. The need for the eighth model line is to boost production at the carmaker’s Halewood plant and cement the ownership of Tata Motors, reports Autocar.

The new model will feature its own unique styling and interior and sit on a longer wheelbase than the current Freelander. Its key competitors will include the recently revealed Audi Q5 and Mercedes-Benz GLK as well as the Acura MDX and Honda Pilot.

The powertrain lineup will include four-cylinder petrol and diesel engines as well as a V6 unit for North America. The gearbox will likely be the same Getrag dual-clutch unit used by Ford and Volvo.

Reader Comments

Tue Jun 24 2008 9:10 PM
Roy says

Shouldn't Land Rover be concentrating on getting back to its roots as the best AWD vehicle available? I know luxury cars have a higher profit margin, but I would have thought the new corporate parents would be interested in trying to tap into the huge developing markets of India and China, both of which boast more occasions when supreme ruggedness might be useful than most of the US and EU.

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