Land Rover is planning a five-door variant of the Range Rover Evoque and a raft of other changes to its existing models.
The five-door Evoque will sit on the same platform as the car launched last week, with shortened front doors and narrow-aperture rear doors, but will most likely debut in 2012.
See the spy pics of the five-door Range Rover Evoque
Elsewhere as part of a general overhaul, there will be a revised Freelander, a new engine range for the Range Rover Sport, a reclassification for the Defender and the possibility of a streamlined Discovery diesel range.
The revised Freelander is set for production with noticeable changes to the interior, where a new instrument panel, switchgear and centre console will lift the quality feel of the Freelander cabin.
More soft-touch plastics and a move closer to the new Discovery, in terms of fit and finish and trim materials, will make the Freelander appear much better value for money.
For 2011, the Range Rover Sport will get a revised engine range, focusing on 3.0-litre TDV6 diesels. The 268bhp 3.6 TDV8 will be replaced with a version of Jaguar’s 271bhp, twin-turbocharged 3.0-litre V6.
Controversially, the new 305bhp 4.4-litre TDV8 will be reserved as an engine for the Range Rover, a decision said to have annoyed some dealers who have customers waiting for a diesel V8-powered Range Rover Sport.
A lower-powered, single-turbo, 241bhp 3.0-litre TDV6 is likely to continue as the entry-level diesel variant.
The Discovery diesel range could well be streamlined for 2011. The entry-level 193bhp 2.7 TDV6 will be phased out and replaced with the 241bhp 3.0 TDV6. Top-end Discovery TDV6s will then be powered by the 271bhp twin-turbo 3.0 TDV6.
Land Rover will also reclassify the Defender as a commercial vehicle, in a move related to new legal requirements on vehicle weight and size, but one senior source has assured Autocar that the “vehicle won’t change”.
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Re: First pics: Range Rover Evoque 5dr
just think of all the lovely big saloons and sports cars that would have come about if it werent for SUVs emergence in the market, would we still have Lancia here and would Rover have a purpose, would Jag have built a small sports car already, would Toyota have killed off the MR2, Celica and Supra, would there be a diesel Porsche
I would quite like the SUV bubble to burst
Re: First pics: Range Rover Evoque 5dr
38carssofar, I thought just that when i saw this claptrap. The idea of mixing Victoria Beckham design with a Land Rover product makes me want to puke and think that having owed a number of Range Rovers and Disco's I might never again if they go down this road.
Then I thought they'll loose others like me who love Landies and know what the brand is about. Add that to having the least powerful, least modern diesel engine of its competitors (the 3.6 to be 4.4 iron block from Ford) and I wonder if the Range Rover outside is the last one I'll like.
Then a new thought occured. Yummy Mummies on school runs are the business for 4x4's these days, not farmers or country folk. LR have finally realised that the way they sell as many LR's as porsche do Cayennes, Audi do Q5's and Q7's and so on and so on is by joining in the party of selling 4x4's to city folk whose only off roading is teh lip of teh pavement as they enter their suburban driveway.
The problem with that is, what happens when the Burb vehicle of choice is a 4x4 and instead becomes something better suited? Having ditched their loyal if small in number client base with cars like this, where will they be when the SUV party stops without the wider range that their competitors in the lets pretend SUV world have?
Re: First pics: Range Rover Evoque 5dr
The image is starting to get a little too "Beckingham Palace" ...
LR need to make sure they don't lose their core customers while trying to win over more and more "yummy mummies" with the Evoque ( b.t.w. - a name I'm surprised hadn't been registered by Lotus...) I do hope they don't start giving away Victoria Beckham Eau de Toilette with every new purchase! :o)