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Another new Land Rover!!
By Land Rover Press Release
14th Dec 2007
Land Rover unveils a vision of its future at the NAIAS (Detroit Show) in January 2008, with the world debut of the LRX concept - a bold evolution of Land Rover design that signals the brand's shift into new areas of the automotive market.
As the
company prepares to celebrate its 60th anniversary during 2008, the
three-door LRX, with its more compact size, lighter weight and
sustainability-focused technologies, clearly addresses the needs of a
changing world.
"The
LRX concept delivers the powerful message that we are as serious about
sustainability as we are confident about the continuing relevance and
desirability of our vehicles," says Phil Popham, Land Rover's managing
director. "LRX is in every respect a Land Rover, but it's a very
different Land Rover.
"LRX
has unmistakable Land Rover design and the breadth of capability that
you'd expect from our vehicles. But it carries those essentials into a
segment where the brand has never been before, and with a proposed
level of efficiency that would make it one of the cleanest vehicles in
its class. It is Land Rover's way of affirming the brand's responsible
approach to future product development. At this stage, LRX is purely a
concept, designed to help us develop our thinking as well as gauge
customer reaction - but this feels like a hugely exciting direction to
take."
Compact and premium
LRX
is described as a cross-coupé and dramatically extends the scope of
what Land Rover represents. Though smaller than the Freelander 2 / LR2,
LRX was conceived as a premium car, designed to appeal to new customers
in the luxury and executive sector - those who want many of the
benefits of a 4x4 and the presence of a larger vehicle, but in a more
compact package.
The
first all-new Land Rover revealed since Gerry McGovern became the
company's design director, LRX is a natural extension of the Land Rover
range, complementing the existing models and helping to define a new
segment. Its many recognisable Land Rover design cues include bold new
interpretations of the signature clamshell bonnet, the floating roof
and the solid 'wheel-at-each-corner' stance.
"LRX
is a design born out of passion for the brand, but it is different,
relevant, engaging and exciting - because Land Rover has never built
ordinary cars," says Gerry McGovern. "LRX has a highly desirable
identity and the design alludes strongly to its capability, while
clearly underlining our forward-looking philosophy - it's a Land Rover
that would be comfortable on Bond Street or Fifth Avenue, but wouldn't
flinch at getting its wheels dirty."
Its
compact size is one of its greatest assets, which will appeal to anyone
who wants the versatile ability of an agile 4x4 with the cachet of the
Land Rover name. In addition, its lower weight and the reduced
aerodynamic drag resulting from the smaller frontal area give
significant gains in fuel efficiency and reduced CO2 emissions.
The
LRX concept also adopts intelligent power management systems and other
technologies first shown by Land Rover in the Land_e concept in 2006.
Further details of LRX's powertrain and sustainability technologies
will be released at the Detroit Show.
Extending 'breadth of capability'
The
positioning of LRX could be described as moving subtly from traditional
SUV to crossover, with its more car-like appearance and dynamics that
are sportier and on-road biased. But while its character is underlined
by excellent agility, handling and performance, LRX also promises the
widest breadth of capability in the class. To help achieve this, it has
full-time four-wheel drive and Hill Descent Control, as well as a
special version of Land Rover's acclaimed Terrain Response system, to
optimise traction on difficult surfaces ranging from icy roads to wet
grass, gravel and snow. But to reflect LRX's on-road bias, Terrain
Response also gains a new 'Eco' mode for lower emissions during urban
driving.
The
design of LRX was developed entirely in-house, driven by a passion to
create a car that truly represents Land Rover's future thinking. It has
a very dynamic profile, with a distinctive taper to the floating
roofline and a muscular shoulder running the length of the car,
accentuated by the rising beltline. The glazing wraps right around LRX,
with no exposed pillars, creating a bold design graphic. The
architectural structure of the upper body can be glimpsed through the
windows and roof - echoing some of the best contemporary buildings.
Pushing
the wheels out to the four corners helps give the car its purposeful
stance, and its front-end design makes a powerful and instantly
recognisable statement of Land Rover's identity. There are new
interpretations of Land Rover's traditional clamshell bonnet,
distinctive headlamps, jewel-like, tapering blade indicator clusters
front and rear, and subtle side vents. LRX's wheelarches are wide but
softly integrated, housing 20-inch alloy wheels.
The
carefully sculpted corners dramatically reduce the car's visual
overhangs front and rear. With its perforated two-bar grille, door
releases concealed in the car's shoulders and graphic details 'punched
out' of the smooth body surfaces rather than overlaid on them, LRX is
beautifully proportioned and elegantly simple - but very dramatic and
distinctive.
Impeccable, premium interior
The
interior of the LRX concept clearly demonstrates how a compact Land
Rover can still be roomy, practical, versatile - and sophisticated. The
impeccably executed cabin features a combination of soft leathers in
rich tan and dark chocolate, with polished aluminium details.
The
'fast' sloping architecture of the centre console reflects LRX's sporty
dynamics, as does the distinctive binnacle over the instrument cluster.
The electronic display uses 'floating' LCD graphics to create a
three-dimensional look that can be personalised for different drivers,
as well as interacting with LRX's touch-screen display.
The
instrument graphics present data in layers depending on their level of
importance, to give maximum relevant information with minimum
distraction. When appropriate, displayed information transfers between
the main instrument cluster and the touch screen. Further adding to
LRX's involving personality, the different drivetrain modes are matched
by changes in the cabin's background lighting colour - green in
economy, red in sports and blue in standard mode.
Clever use of space
Although
LRX is compact, clever use of space makes it impressively roomy, and
many neat design touches maximise its practicality. A second
touch-screen area gives a fully interactive display and control for
LRX's iPhone docking facility. On either side of the
horizontally-split, power-operated tailgate, removable and
power-adjustable speakers include an iPod docking station. There is
also a coolbox, plus a bottle chiller that can be clipped to the
lowered tailgate. This also has integral aluminium cupholders between
two padded seating areas, for a new twist on the idea of a traditional
Land Rover tailgate lunch.
Every
interior design detail combines to maximise both actual space and the
feeling of space. The clear roof is supported by a 'spider' frame
running into the A-pillars, and the rear quarter pillars have glazed
apertures for improved visibility and a lighter feel in the cabin.
LRX's
distinctive seats 'float' on individual plinths and have open
frameworks to reinforce the impression of light, airy interior space -
while also creating useful under-seat and under-floor stowage areas.
The clever, powered mechanism of the seat backs maximises interior
flexibility and helps create a large, flat storage area when needed,
complete with multiple tie-down options. The generous load space and
through-loading option also help accommodate bikes, skis or surfboards.
"Flexible
load-carrying capacity is fundamental to the concept of LRX," says
Gerry McGovern. "With this car, we've interpreted the idea of Land
Rover 'breadth of capability' to be more about versatility and on-road
dynamics than about ultimate off-roading. This meets the needs of the
new customers that we believe would be attracted by this type of car;
they will not only appreciate LRX's flexibility, but will also
recognise that it has been packaged with the highest levels of
precision."
Sustainable product design
The
structures of the seats and instrument panel are elegant enough to be
left exposed - one novel approach that Land Rover's designers have
taken to reduce vehicle weight. Another example is replacing the glass
for the side windows and roof with polycarbonate, which is around 40%
lighter.
Even
the choice of premium-quality trim materials reflects Land Rover's deep
thinking about sustainability, with vegetable-tanned leather
(chromium-free, so better for recycling), extensive use of aluminium
(both lightweight and readily recyclable) and carpeting made of felt
from sustainable sources. And the luxurious, vanilla-coloured 'fine
suede' on the door inserts and headliner is a 100% recycled material
made from used plastic bottles.
"We
are determined to make sustainability a key element in our future
product design and the way we do business, while still creating
vehicles that have a strong emotional appeal as well as fulfilling
people's practical needs," says Phil Popham. "No single technology
delivers all the answers to whole-life sustainability, but the LRX
concept brings together some of the ideas for the future that interest
us, integrating them into a car that we believe represents an exciting
way forward for Land Rover."
Trendy new markets demand trendy new gadgets!
The New LRX comes complete with iPhone integration. This is the new phone/ipod/PDA from Apple that has taken the market by storm.
Gone are the days when you just bung your phone in the cubby box!
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Another new Land Rover!! - 14th Dec 2007 - 9:35:28 AM
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