Autocar UK is reporting that Land Rover is currently planning for a bigger Range Rover Evoque model, slotting a vehicle in between the Evoque and its Range Rover Sport sibling. Success of BMW‘s X-models and Audi‘s Q-models has encouraged Land Rover to expand its Range Rover brand.

Possibly called “Grand Evoque”, it should be based on the same LR-MS architecture currently found on the existing Evoque, but Land Rover should be giving it a distinctive aesthetic design of its own to set it apart from the standard Evoque. Stretching the underbody by about 12-inches would give the Grand Evoque plenty of extra room, possibly for a third row of seating.

Speculation also continues with possible powerplants, with the larger Evoque powered by new four-cylinder engines that Jaguar Land Rover is developing. Rumor has it that a 1.8L turbo is in the works capable of producing as much as 170-hp per liter while a diesel variant would be capable of 133-hp per liter. There is also a possibility of a hybrid model for the larger Evoque.

[Source: Autocar UK]

If you’re stuck on what to get the Land Rover enthusiast in your life, why not surprise them with a Land Rover Experience, an ice hat or a collapsible kettle? These are just a few of the new offerings at Land Rover Gear’s online shop.

One of the coolest ideas is the Land Rover Experience. These driving adventures are available in Great Britian and give the lucky recipient the thrill of driving off-road in a Land Rover.  Choose from full or half day courses, or a night drive. Prices range from £195 ($305US) to £365 ($570US) for a full day’s drive.

Great for stocking stuffers, Land Rover also has a collapsible kettle for space-conscious campers, as well as a foldable dog bowl. If you’ve got a little money to burn, you can get the new Land Rover bicycle, with models available for all types of riders. And for the “greenie” on your list, you can wrap up a colorful rug made from recycled yarn.

Check out all the Land Rover holiday ideas at the Land Rover Gear online shop.

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

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]

Although it hasn’t been officially given the green light, there’s every indication that a hot rod version of the recently introduced ‘baby’ Range Rover could be on its way.

Evoque program director David Mitchell has been driving one of the little Rovers, equipped with a  300 horsepower version of the turbocharged 2.0-liter gas engine found in regular models and says that the vehicle’s chassis is more than up to the task of handling an additional 63 horsepower.

However, there remains the question of how to market such a high performance model, if and when it reaches production; one scenario is perhaps offering a ‘hot’ sub brand, a bit like Cadillac with it’s V-series.

“We’ll have to look at that when the time comes,” says Mitchell.

For more information on the Range Rover Evoque, please visit our Range Rover Evoque Forums at http://www.rrevoqueforum.com/

[Source: Autocar]

Nothing can test a truck’s true mettle quite like thousands of miles of sand. For the 2012 Dakar Rally, the British Excite Rally Raid Team plans to enter the most brutal competition on Earth using three specially modified versions of Land Rover‘s new Evoque.

Powered by a 3.0-liter turbo diesel straight-six engine by BMW producing 275-hp and 479 lb-ft of torque and mated to a ZF six-speed gearbox, the Evoque will be hand-built by the wizards of RaBe Race Cars, whom possess a very long history of providing Dakar raiding hardware for many teams.

British Excite Rally Raid Team, as the name suggests, will be a completely British crew. The drivers are Martin Rowe, Andrew Coley and John Hardy. Keep a look out for British Excite at the 2012 Dakar Rally in January 1, 2012.

GALLERY: British Excite Rally Raid Team Land Rover Evoque

Despite rumors that Land Rover‘s iconic Defender might go the way of the dodo, increasingly there have been signs that the company is indeed committed to its hard-core offering, as two concepts revealed at this year’s Frankfurt Motor Show suggest.

The D100 and roofless D100 Sport (pictured above), are essentially styling exercises to showcase which direction the Defender could go. Indeed not only do they embody some of the design features found on the company’s current offerings (the new Range Rover Evoque comes to mind), they also sport some really traditional Landie features (such as a three-passenger front seat).

Yet as off-roaders designed and conceived for use in the 21st century, there’s some hi-tech stuff going on too; materials from luxury yachts, private jets, even spacecraft are employed in their construction, as is technology for self-cleaning and ‘healing’ of the exterior paint.

An ‘intelligent’ next generation Terrain Response system and even a ‘Wade Aid’ feature designed to assess the depth of potential crossings and advise the driver of the appropriate speed when ‘fording’ hint at just some of the capabilities the next generation Defender could have.

Other features it will likely sport include four-cylinder gas and diesel engines with hybrid and even plug-in capability, plus probably an eight-speed automatic transmission.

The D100 and its Sport counterpart are a far cry from the V-8 powered five-speed Defender 90 that was sold in North America back in the 1990s, but from the looks of things, hint that when it finally does arrive, the next generation hard-core Landie, could easily prove to be just as much fun.

GALLERY: Land Rover DC100 Sport Concept

GALLERY: Land Rover DC100

Off-roaders may want to listen up, this is your lucky day. Land Rover has confirmed production for the next-gen Defender SUV. The British automaker intends to launch a new Defender in 2015, and the concept version (DC100) will be present at next month’s Frankfurt Auto Show.

Gerry McGovern, Director of Design for Land Rover weighed in on the issue saying, “Replacing the iconic Defender is one of the biggest challenges in the automotive design world; it is a car that inspires people worldwide.  This isn’t a production-ready concept but the beginning of a four-year journey to design a relevant Defender for the 21st century.”

The next-gen Defender is likely to be quite different than the old version in several ways. It will have a more refined design with more technological features and modern structural materials. However the new version will likely stick to the traditional simplistic approach for which the Defender is well-known.

John Edwards, Global Brand Director, Land Rover added:”Loved the world over for its simple, honest and distinctive design, we are determined that the new Defender will be true to its heritage, while meeting the requirements of a changing global market. We plan to engage with existing and potential customers to help us finalize the details of the new vehicle.  One thing’s for sure, it’s going to be an exciting journey, and we can’t wait to get going.”

GALLERY: Land Rover DC100 Concept

Fans of the Land Rover Defender have long feared the vehicle’s demise amid intensifying regulations and waning interest in off-road vehicles, but Land Rover isn’t giving up on their iconic product.

A report in a British magazine suggests that an all-new Defender will debut at the Frankfurt Auto Show, using the same underpinnings as Land Rover’s capable LR4 SUV. A new range of in-house 4-cylinder gasoline and diesel engines will be employed, as well as Land Rover’s Terrain Management System, which can adjust the entire driveline to cope with various off-road situations.

[Source: Auto Express]

Andy Goss, President of Jaguar Land Rover North America has bold plans for Land Rover to hit 50,000 U.S sales by 2012 and for Jaguar to reach the same goal within five years.

Land Rover sold 31, 864 units in 2010 and has sold 20,000 vehicles through July of 2011. ”Both brands have some similarities in the fact that we are planning for growth predicated on product introductions,” said Goss. With the new compact  Evoque added to the lineup, Goss feels the 50,000 mark is within the automakers reach. Jaguar will most likely have more trouble attaining the 50,000 unit goal, based on the fact that the automaker only sold 13,340 units in 2011. Jaguar hoping to up sales with help from a sports car that the brand is considering, which may debut as a concept at the Frankfurt auto show. Goss did not provide any details but noted that Jaguar needs a small sports car and a sedan to compete with the BMW 3-Series.

[Source: Automotive News]

In order to meet upcoming US fuel efficiency targets, many of automobiles will have to go on serious diet plans.

Land Rover, is no exception. Currently fielding a lineup of vehicles that’s among the heaviest out there, the iconic British brand plans to take drastic steps to cut the pounds. Launching the Range Rover Evoque has been the first step, with the second rumored to be the new, ‘lightened’ Defender, a  concept  of which is scheduled for introduction at this year’s Frankfurt Motor Show.

This next generation of the ‘proper’ Land Rover, besides being lighter has also been apparently conceived with the North American market in mind. If it does indeed come here, it will mark the first time since 1997 that we’ve been able to officially buy a Defender on these shores.

Beyond that, Land Rover has committed to a goal of reducing curb weights of its SUVs by as much as 1100 lbs over the next 10 years, via the use of lighter materials such as aluminum and carbon fiber instead of traditional steel.

[Source: The Detroit Bureau]

This is it for SUV lovers, the piece de resistance. Bentley is working on a design and engineering project to launch a very high-end  £150,000 SUV by 2014, according to CEO Wolfgang Durheimer.

Design chief Dirk van Braeckel and engineering boss Uli Eichhorn are spearheading the project with Durheimer to get the SUV ready.

“I have great faith in the SUV market and it’s here to stay” says Durheimer, who counts the launch of the Porsche Cayenne during his tenure at Weissach as “one of my proudest achievements”.

The Bentley SUV will have hallmark styling with luxury wood and leather interior that will place it above the Range Rover in terms of quality. Bentley’s launch will coincidentally overlap with Aston Martin’s Lagonda 4×4. Bentley is unsure of what platform to use but may lean towards utilizing a version of Volkswagen Group’s new MLB setup. Interestingly, Durheimer was a key figure in the early platform enginnering of the MLB while at Porsche.

Durheimer has suggested using a diesel engine for the SUV. The company may lean towards implementing the immense Audi V12 TDi, and Durheimer has suggested that 738 lb-ft of torque is a suitable amount of power. A gasoline powered W12 will also be available for markets where diesels aren’t as popular.

The go-ahead has not been given to start production on the SUV as Bentley is still waiting to hear from the VW Board. However the British automaker is confident that the project will be given the green light.

[Source: Auto Car]

Earlier this year, Land Rover introduced three hybrid-electric concept vehicles at the Geneva Motor Show, and now Land Rover is looking to put them to the test.

The RAC Future Car Challenge is an annual event that showcases technology that we might see in production cars in years to come. Think of it as a motor show that doesn’t stand still.

Land Rover is keen to show that its plug-in diesel-hybrid concepts actually work, and has entered them in this years challenge.

The Range_e is based on a Range Rover Sport TDV6. While the concept retains the production vehicles 245-hp, 3.0-liter, V6 engine, it also gains a 69KW electric motor, which runs on a 14.2KW/h lithium-ion battery pack. This vehicle can be charged using a 240V household plug, and can propel this heavy 4×4 vehicle upto 20-miles on battery power alone.

The challenge will be held on November 5th, in London and will cover a 60-mile route. The target of this challenge is to see who can use the least amount of energy to cover the route in the 2 hour, 45 minute minimum to 3 hour 30 minute maximum time.

Fiat CEO Sergio Marchionne has ambitious plans for the Maserati, specifically to drastically improve sales almost tenfold from last years 5,675 units sold to 50,000.

Marchionne believes this is attainable through three new Maserati models, all based on systems and components from Chrysler Group. The Italian automaker may be able to pull off the ambitious sales plan through three new vehicles. The Quattroporte will be replaced by two new sedans, one smaller and one larger than the current sedan. Maserati will also introduce an all-new SUV to its lineup for the first time.

The  vehicle will be based on the brand-new Jeep Grand Cherokee, but insiders have said it will be hard to spot the resemblance. The interior will be fitted with plush Italian leather as well as wood accents throughout the inside. Under the hood will be a Chrysler HEMI 6.4-liter V8 producing 465-hp. While Maserati already has their own 4.7L V8, the reality is that the HEMI already fits in the platform quite well and will help keep the cost of the vehicle down. The well regarded Fiat V6 diesel will also be available on the Cherokee platform. The engine choice will be a vital and strategic move for Maserati, in order to take on the Porsche Cayenne, BMW X5/X6 and Range Rover. The Maserati SUV is set to be unveiled at the upcoming Frankfurt auto show next month, and expect the production version to hit dealerships in 2013.

Not yet, but it might be, says the company’s boss Colin Green, as he looks at possible future scenarios for the iconic off-roader. Although it hasn’t been sold here officially for many years, the Defender remains popular in other parts of the world, particularly with farmers, rescue workers and utilities, as well as the British military.

However, with ever tightening emission requirements and a need to broaden market appeal, Green says the current Defender will be a tough act to follow. “If we get it wrong we are messing up one of the industry’s biggest icons, and in that sense it’s a tremendous responsibility.”

As a result, the company is weighing in the possibility of discontinuing it’s most legendary product. “It’s our least preferred choice,” says Green, “because we have serviced that customer base for a long time, but there’s no point in servicing the customer and not the business. We have to make money.”

Other options currently being discussed include an update of the current model using Euro VI engines, or introducing a re-designed version with broader appeal, likely based on the LR4 chassis.

[Source: Auto Express]

Today, a report was released regarding the possibility of Tata motors entering a joint engine-development program with Jaguar Land Rover. Tata is currently India’s leading automaker by sales, and presently obtains engines from Jaguar and Land Rover models from the brand’s previous owner, Ford Motor Co.

Tata feels that the joint engine-development program would allow another step forward to establishing the brands’ independence from Ford(Tata bought Jaguar Land Rover from Ford in 2008). ”To optimize the synergistic strengths between JLR and Tata Motors in India, an examination is also under way on a joint engine development program which would have manufacturing facilities both in the U.K. and India,” explained Ratan Tata

Tata Motors sold 62,090 Jaguar and Land Rovers globally for the fiscal year, up 9 percent from the previous year, according to the company. Jaguar Land Rover North America sold 23,702 vehicles in the U.S in the first six months of 2011, up 13.9 percent over the first six months of 2010.

[Source: Automotive News]

Score another one for the outside-the-box thinkers at Nissan. First there was the Juke, which everyone now wants to copy. And according to a new rumor, the Murano CrossCabriolet may just have started a new fad.

Word has it Land Rover is planning a drop-top version of the Range Rover Evoque model. The odd model would likely be based on the three-door version of the Evoque, rather than the more purposeful 5-door version, and there’s some possibility that this could be the rumored Victoria Beckham special edition.

If the rumor proves to be true, the Evoque Cabriolet could join the drop-top Murano and even a possible Audi Q5 convertible in a very new, and very strange niche segment. At least it’s better than an Audi Q7 pickup truck.

[Source: Autoblog.nl]