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2008 Detroit Auto Show: Land Rover LRX Concept

According to Land Rover (and former Lincoln) head designer Gerry McGovern, the company's small, two-door concept, the LRX, has quite a lot of premiumness. Now you might be asking, "Is premiumness really a word?" And we would answer, "No. No, it is not."

Still, McGovern is convinced that this bulky little number "oozes premiumness." We're not sure we noticed that but the LRX is a sort of inevitable vehicle for Land Rover. The times have changed...

Not just in the 60 years that Land Rover has been making vehicles, but in the last 10. The "SUV" market is now packed to the fender gills by tall wagons with angry trucklike faces. And essentially that's what we're looking at in the LRX. The vehicle isn't a runner. It's just there to show Land Rover's "bold" new design direction.

The company is hinting that something like the LRX will go into production. A little less likely to make it to Land Rover showrooms in the near future is the diesel-hybrid powertrain that theoretically powers the LRX. With an electric motor at the rear axle and a 2.0-liter diesel under the hood, Land Rover claims the LRX would get more than 50 miles per gallon and be able to drive up to 20 mph on electric power alone.

Like virtually everything around the soon-to-be-sold Land Rover, though, the future of the LRX is uncertain. -- Daniel Pund, Senior Editor, Detroit

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4 Comments

estreka says:

05:02 PM, 01/13/08

The new styling is nice, but it's not what Land Rover needs.

firstwagon says:

05:20 PM, 01/13/08

I wonder if Land Rover will ever go back to make real off road trucks. Sure the current ones are good off road but they are so upscale, I doubt anyone use them for it anymore. I can't remember the last time I saw a Land Rover with off road tires.
 
They should build a truck like the Wrangler if for no other reason then to keep "off road legend" alive.

trackwrex says:

05:31 PM, 01/13/08

now this, i like. aggressive, futuristic, stylish. :) great job Land Rover. this is purely from a design standpoint. now if LR can get their reliability to be better and the cost of maintenance to be cheaper, then i might consider buying it.

cajun_mike says:

06:04 PM, 01/13/08

If they build it, they will sell very well. I dont care what Land Rover's history is. Good looking, smart designs sell and this one looks like both to me.

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