Land Rover LRX

[Wizzo]

Land Rover will use the Detroit Motor Show (NAIAS) in January as the launch platform for its new LRX Concept - a 3-door, compact 4WD that hints at a future broadening of design philosophy for the company as it joins other manufacturers in gravitating toward smaller, lighter, low-emissions vehicles. Labeled a "cross-coupé" and smaller than Freelander 2, the LRX aims to retain the distinctive Land Rover design flavor despite its reduced footprint, which features a smaller frontal area to enhance aerodynamic performance - boosting fuel efficiency and reducing C02 emissions - and integrates a number of interior design innovations to create the impression of a spacious, airy cabin as well as maintain practical load carrying capability.

According to Land Rover, the LRX is purely a concept, designed to "develop our thinking as well as gauge customer reaction". Details are scarce on the Concept's powertrain and sustainability technologies ahead of the show but its intelligent power management systems and other technologies are derived from the Land Rover in the Land_e concept first shown in 2006.

Full-time four-wheel drive and Hill Descent Control are included along with a special version of Land Rover's Terrain Response system, which sees an 'Eco' mode for lower emission urban driving added to the system's ability to optimize traction on a range of difficult surfaces.

Notable exterior features of the entirely in-house LRX design include a clear floating roof supported by a "spider" frame running into the A-pillars and glazed apertures on the rear quarter pillars for improved visibility. Do help keep the weight down, glass for side windows is replaced by 40% lighter polycarbonate.

Pushing the wheels out to the four sculpted corners reduces the car's visual overhangs and help give the car its purposeful stance with a new twist given to the traditional clamshell bonnet, headlamps, indicator clusters and side vents.

Inside the distinctive seats "float" on individual plinths and have open frameworks to enhance storage area and reinforce the impression of light, airy interior space. Multiple tie-down options are incorporated for carrying bikes, skis or surfboards and for a comfortable roadside lunch, there's a coolbox and a bottle chiller that can be clipped to the horizontally-split, power-operated tailgate when lowered plus the power-adjustable rear speakers are removable.

[Steven Roy]

Is it just me or is there something odd about advertising a car as having reduced CO2 when it has 4-wheel drive which is entirely unecessary for 99% of the people who will buy it?

[cosworth151]

I'm sure that many of the 4x4's sold in urban areas never get used for the purpose they were designed for. They get bought because of the complete lack of space and utility in most current cars.

Here in very rural, very snowy Appalachia they are almost a necessity. Where I live, we are a "low priority snow removal area." That means they don't get around to plowing the snow until about mid-June.