LAND ROVER has officially confirmed production of its Range Rover LRX concept car, which will go on sale in 2011. It is aimed at not only enticing new customers to the brand, but also lowering the marque’s carbon footprint.
The new LRX is expected to be powered by a two-litre turbo-diesel engine, but will also feature such fuel-saving features as a mild hybrid system, using an electric motor – charged using regenerative braking – to power the car below speeds of 35km/h.
It will also come with the latest stop-start technology that cuts out the engine when the car is stopped in traffic, restarting it when the accelerator is pressed. Such technology already features on some of the firm’s Land Rover Freelander models.
The end result should be an emissions level of 120g/km, putting it in the lowest tax bracket in Ireland, Band A, with annual road tax of €104 per year.
Fuel consumption targets of 4.7l/100km have also been suggested.
The new car will be built at the firm’s Halewood plant in Liverpool. Production there of any new models was part of the terms of a £27 million (€29 million) aid package from the UK government to Land Rover in March.
Its arrival in 2011 will coincide with the 40th anniversary of the Range Rover model.