Land Rover design boss Gerry McGovern believes the forthcoming era of electrification will present even more opportunities for ‘white space’ vehicles like the Range Rover Evoque and Velar, which have been so successful for the brand.
“We have to embrace electrification,” he told Autocar at the Frankfurt motor show, when asked if Land Rover was planning electric cars. “It’s embedded into the future cycle plan. You [can] use [electrification] in a way that creates even more desirability. It’s coming.”
2019 Range Rover Evoque to get heavy Velar influence
McGovern has since said that the Range Rover name has “elasticity” and “there is so much equity in the brand”, hinting at a wider application than the current range of four core models. He added: “We think of all possibilities [and] white space opportunities. What things can be done that we aren’t doing now?”
The Velar has kick-started a model blitz for the Range Rover pillar of Land Rover’s business. Only on sale since late summer, the Velar has already been followed by heavily revised versions of the Range Rover and Range Rover Sport, including plug-in hybrid versions of both, which are Land Rover’s first PHEVs.
Beating the Evoque to market will be an SVR performance version of the Velar. It is understood to be planned for launch next summer and is a sister car to the Jaguar F-Pace SVR, another performance SUV that JLR’s Special Vehicle Operations unit is working on.
How the Evoque changed JLR for the better
Further extensions of the Range Rover brand are understood to include the more car-like model. Known internally as the ‘Road Rover’ project, it will be a sister car to the next Jaguar XJ. Beyond that, a model closely related to the Range Rover but with a different body and name is planned as an alternative to the Bentley Bentayga and Rolls-Royce Cullinan. Currently there is no ceiling on the price of a Range Rover, with more luxurious models commanding ever higher prices.
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“We have to embrace
“We have to embrace electrification,” he told Autocar, and yet on the forthcoming replacement Evoque article they admit electrification won't feature, not for a very long time at least - define embrace! Recycled platforms and underfunded engine development but still selling well can't last forever. Eventually it catches up with you.
As far as the transverse FWD
As far as the transverse FWD platform they inherited from Ford goes, you're right, although it's been changed way beyond recognition. Still very portly though as I know from driving a Discovery Sport. Wasn't there a rumour that they were going to team up with BMW when it comes to replacing the Bavarian UKL1 platform? However, their aluminium platform underpinning the XE, XF, F Pace, Velar (and modified for the I Pace) is all new and I imagine it will soon/eventually be found under the skirts of the XJ, Range Rover, Range Rover Sport and Discovery. That leaves the F type and it does worry me that Autocar reported no so long ago that the F type successor, plus an XK successor, were going to sit on a heavily modified version of the current platform - which can trace its roots back to the 2005 XK. That's not good.