Continuing along with the trend of adding awards to its roster, the Range Rover Evoque has been bestowed with another. Top Gear magazine in the UK, has named the baby Rover as it’s “Car of the Year.”

Following the announcement, the Evoque was taken on a “reward trip” across the wilds of North Africa, namely the desert and mountains of Morocco – talk about celebrating in style.

In addition to garnering top honors from the magazine, Top Gear‘s resident  ”motor mouth” Jeremy Clarkson, also labeled the Evoque as his favorite vehicle of the year, beating out such contenders as the Ferrari FF, McLaren MP4-12C and BMW 1 Series M coupe.

[Source: Autoblog]

Startech, a sub-division of famous Mercedes tuning house Brabus, is showing off a custom Range Rover Evoque at this year’s Essen Motor Show. The project originally debuted at the Dubai International Motor Show earlier this month, and has now made its way over to Europe to Essen for its home crowd.

The tuning package from Startech is available for all three- and five-door models of the Evoque and was developed to make the crossover more capable on the road, rather than focusing on the Evoque’s somewhat non-existent off-road capabilities.

For aesthetics, Startech outfits the Evoque with a new front apron, roof wing and rear apron that sports a new rear diffuser and wickedly cool quad exhaust tips. Ride height is lowered by 1.2-inch thanks to a suspension kit while Startech offers a variety of 20- to 22-inch wheels with custom color combos for the client.

On the inside, Startech offers a plethora of custom interior modifications including a sport steering wheel, aluminum pedals, foot rest and shifter, leather upholstery and Alcantara headliner. Startech also announced that they’re working on more horsepower for the 2.0L SI4 powerplant first, and will develop a power kit for the diesel engine shortly thereafter.

For more information and to discuss the Range Rover Evoque, please visit our Range Rover Evoque Forum.

GALLERY: Startech Range Rover Evoque

Tata Sons has named Cyrus Mistry as its next CEO, as current CEO Ratan Tata prepares to retire. The unmarried, childless Tata named Mistry as CEO of the holding company responsible for Tata’s numerous divisions, among them their automotive sector which owns Jaguar and Land Rover, along with the namesake Tata Motors brand.

“The appointment of Cyrus P. Mistry as deputy chairman of Tata Sons is a good and far-sighted choice. He has been on the board of Tata Sons since August 2006 and I have been impressed with the quality and caliber of his participation, his astute observations and his humility,” said Tata, in a statement.

Mistry’s father is Tata’s largest individual shareholder, with an 18 percent stake in the Indian conglomerate. He is currently head of another Indian corporation, the Shapoorji Pallonji group, and will assume full responsibilities in December, 2012 when Tata steps down.

[Source: Automotive News]

The way to a girl’s heart is through expensive automobiles – at least, that’s what Justin Bieber is betting on. In an attempt to impress his girlfriend Selena Gomez, the Canadian singer dropped more than $160,000 on a customized Range Rover.

The Range Rover, a ‘Project Kahn’ car, comes with an $80,000 sound system, leather interior, modified paintwork and a Cosworth engine.

“Justin loves his motors even though he’s barely old enough to drive”, a source told The Sun newspaper. “His girlfriend Selena Gomez will be well impressed with his latest. It’s the business.”

Bieber’s new ride is being shipped from Bradford, West Yorkshire, which is in Northern England to his LA home. The ‘Project Kahn’ operation boasts a star-studded clientele, which have included England soccer star Wayne Rooney and TV star Katie Price.

[Source: Toronto Star]

Discuss this story at EvoqueForum.com

When you’re dealing with a true iconic vehicle, the hardest task of all is coming up with a suitable replacement. As we reported in Frankfurt, rumors that Land Rover would simply kill off the Defender have proven to be unfounded.

There will be a successor, reportedly a true global model (the current version hasn’t been sold on our shores officially since ’97) though at this stage, despite an introduction planned for 2015,  it’s still too early to tell how the next generation model will look.

The DC100 Concept and its roofless counterpart, the DC100 Sport, which made their North American debuts at the LA Auto Show today, hinting at just one direction the Defender could go.

Boasting a 100-inch wheelbase, hence the name (DC stands for, naturally Defender Concept), both of these vehicles  incorporate  short front and rear overhangs, plus high ground clearance to prevent getting stuck on really rough trails, a durable, washable interior that boasts seating for three up front (very Defender this), along with a number of high tech features such as a Wade Aid, which employs sonar technology to monitor the depth of water crossings, along with a Terrain i-system that detects potential objects and hazards ahead when off-roading. The DC100s also sport an 8-speed automatic transmission, permanent four-wheel drive and intelligent stop start, in order to save fuel.

Land Rover is also exploring a number of other interesting technologies for the next generation Defender, including Hybrid drivetrains (both with diesel and gas engines), physically decoupling axles (featured on the concepts), even self-healing paint. After all, as John Edwards, Land Rover’s global brand director said during their North American unveiling, there’s probably no vehicle on earth that has more dings, dents and scratches from exploring our wonderful planet  than the mighty Defender.

GALLERY: Land Rover DC100 Concepts

First unveiled at the Frankfurt Auto Show, Land Rover has announced it will showcase both the DC100 and DC100 Sport concepts at the Los Angeles Auto Show later this week. More than just a regional unveiling, this announcement is an indication by Land Rover that it is looking to offer the next-generation Defender (which the concepts were created to inspire) in North America.

“The Defender has always been at the heart of the Land Rover Brand and single-handedly defines our go-anywhere, can-do sprit. Our ambition is to create an all new Defender for a global market that remains absolutely faithfully to its original DNA: tough, versatile, durable and capable. At the same time, it will be developed for the 21^st century and adaptable for the needs of future generations,” said John Edwards, Land Rover Global Brand Director.

“Our intention is to introduce the all new Defender in the middle of the decade – there’s a lot of work to do to meet these dates and our concepts are just the start of the journey.  We are here in LA to showcase our DC100 and DC100 Sport concepts and start to actively explore the possibility of bringing the future Defender to North America.”

Of note, Land Rover describes the DC100 Sport as “bursting with California cool,” while also commenting that both concepts have been designed with hybrid versions in mind – ideal for North America. The unique hybrid system includes a “Driveline Disconnect” system that physically (not electronically) disconnected the rear axle to significantly improve fuel economy.

GALLERY: Land Rover DC100 Sport

GALLERY: Land Rover DC100

See AutoGuide’s complete LA Auto Show Preview here

A new range of performance models from Land Rover may be on the horizon, bringing a sub-brand to the British luxury SUV manufacturer. Land Rover execs are reportedly considering the possibility of developing the equivalent of the “R” sub-brand currently found in Jaguar, their sister company. Rumors are that a high-performance Evoque variant is being developed to join a fleet including the supercharged Range Rover and Range Rover Sport.

The high-performance Evoque could have upwards of 300-hp though Global Brand Director John Edwards would neither confirm or deny that such a model is currently under development. What he did confirm is that they are looking deeply into expanding the Evoque model line and that the market is China will play a big role in determining which route Land Rover will go. Either way, we can look forward to an extension to the Evoque model with either more luxurious amenities or more performance.

[Source: Inside Line]

First unveiled at the Frankfurt Motor Show, Land Rover‘s DC100 Concept is heading to the U.S., signifying the luxury SUV maker’s intention to eventually offer a production version in North America. Previewing the next-generation Defender SUV, Land Rover’s global brand direct John Edwards has given strong hints that the new model will go on sale in the U.S., starting with an updated version of the concept that will be unveiled at the LA Auto Show in just two week’s time.

The truck’s new look may be significantly more stylish than its predecessor, but Edwards insists that it will be targeted at the Third World. However, it was also built to appeal to the, “California surfer dude.”

Edwards also says he wants the truck to get back to its routes, despite the concept’s modern design. The truck, “must be capable, usable and abusable,” he says and should be “appropriate for the Third World market.” But, he says, “it would be nice if in doing so, we can also sell it to the Californian surfer dude.”

Look for the trucks’ reveal at the LA Auto Show on November 16th. Until then, see the full AutoGuide’s LA Auto Show preview here.

GALLERY: Land Rover DC100 Concept

[Source: InsideLine]

Congrats go out to the Land Rover Range Rover Evoque, the winner of the 2012 Motor Trend SUV of the Year.

The Evoque was up against some stiff competition this year. Other contenders up for the award included  BMW X3, Dodge Durango, Dodge Journey, Ford Explorer, Jeep Wrangler, Mercedes-Benz M-Class, MINI Countryman, Saab 9-4x and Volkswagen Touareg.

According to Motor Trend, the Land Rover Range Rover Evoque passed each of its six criteria for the distinction (Advancement In Design, Engineering Excellence, Efficiency, Safety, Value and Performance Of Intended Function) with flying colors.

Based on the Land Rover LR2, the Evoque is an evolutionary leap over its predecessor, says Motor Trend. Even though it shares a platform with the LR2, the Evoque performs considerably better in every way. “The Evoque is meant to appeal to the buyer who ranks style, content, and fuel efficiency above approach and departure angles,” says Motor Trend.

Just a few of Evoque’s perks that wowed the judges included its Terrain Response handling and AWD system, its stylish design, roomy cargo area, emission reduction, improved fuel economy and impressive value (it has a price tag of $43,995 – not too shabby when you see all the great features it comes with).

Discuss this story at RREvoqueForum.com

Fans of the Land Rover Defender worried about the iconic off-roader’s impending demise should feel at ease, because the Defender has a long life ahead of it, with production scheduled until 2017.

While a new, more civilized Defender, will bow in 2015, the current vehicle will remain in production until 2017, and possibly as long as 2020. Changes in emissions and safety legislation that would have rendered the Defender unfit for sale have been ammended, or exemptions have been granted for the vehicle.

The Defender was also re-classified as a commercial vehicle a number of years ago, and reports suggest that this should help further safeguard the vehicle’s future in the European marketplace.

[Source: Autocar]