2011 Land Rover LRX Features

The 2011 Land Rover LRX will likely still come to fruition after Tata Motors completes its purchase of Land Rover. The concept is pictured here.

Sources expect the 2011 Land Rover LRX to arrive with the LR2's 3.2-liter V6, 6-speed automatic transmission, and standard all-wheel drive with Land Rover's Terrain Response System (TRS). A hybrid option is rumored for sometime later, possibly a diesel/electric powertrain, as on the concept. This involves a 2.0-liter turbocharged 4-cylinder engine that runs on biodiesel fuel and works with an electric motor powered by advanced lithium-ion (LI) batteries. The system also includes what Land Rover calls an Electric Rear Axle Drive (ERAD) that provides rear-wheel electric-only operation up to 20 mph. As in other hybrids, an integrated starter-generator shuts off the engine at stoplights to minimize emissions and save fuel, then fires it up on applying the accelerator. A regenerative-braking function, another commonplace hybrid feature, charges the batteries when coasting and decelerating, but there's evidently no provision for plug-in charging, as on General Motors' upcoming Chevrolet Volt. However, the LRX concept's Terrain Response System adds a fifth, "eco" mode that's claimed to optimize powertrain operation for best fuel economy, principally on-road. This will almost surely appear on other future Land Rovers.

Land Rover has not yet said if the diesel/electric drive will be available for the production LRX, let alone quoted fuel economy numbers. The system seems to be a response to the European Union's proposed cap on CO₂ emissions (at 120 grams/kilometer, expected to take effect in 2012). Because many Americans are still diesel-averse, a U.S. hybrid option--if there is one--would probably be gasoline/electric. This could be plucked from the Ford Escape/Mercury Mariner Hybrid SUVs, as Ford has agreed to supply powertrains to Land Rover for at least five years.

Predictably, the 2011 Land Rover LRX should more or less duplicate the concept's sporty two-door styling. (Think gym-body Range Rover Sport.) The design preserves traditional brand visuals in a sleeker style to minimize fuel-wasting wind resistance. This explains the tapered nose, lower roofline, smoother body contours, and a whopping 8.1-inch reduction in overall height versus the LR2. Wheelbase is unchanged from the 4-door, but the 2-door is nearly 6 inches shorter. Despite that, Land Rover says the LRX doesn't sacrifice utility, though it isn't yet quoting interior dimensions, either. The concept was outfitted with four individual seats, doubtless due to the bulky battery pack of its hybrid drive, but the conventionally powered production version would doubtless up the passenger count to five via a normal three-person rear bench seat. As on the high-end Range Rovers, the LRX has a liftgate and separate drop-down tailgate.