Land Rover’s smaller, fuel-efficient SUV model based on the LRX Concept, is expected to debut next year as a 2011 model. Several drivetrains will be offered including a hybrid powerplant – a first for Land Rover.

The date for the unveiling is expected to be June 17th, which will mark 40 years since the original Range Rover was unveiled. With a focus on fuel-economy, the new model will help brand a new identity for the company which is known so well for huge engines and incredibly heavy platforms.

The LRX will be based on the Freelander with a hybrid version most likely using an electrically driven rear axle to assist a front-drive gasoline engine, to deliver grip and performance, as well as fuel-economy.

[Source: AutoCar]

Land Rover recently secured a $38 million grant from the U.K government to investigate building an environmentally responsible vehicle, likely to be based on the LRX Concept that debuted at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit in 2008. And according to a recent report in the U.K.’s AutoExpress, Land Rover has given the project the green light.

The upcoming smaller SUV will be a sporty model and feature a full hybrid powertrain, meaning it will be able to run on electric power, gasoline power, or a combination of both. Electric power may even be able to be split between axles, and distributed to either side of the SUV in order to obtain maximum grip.

The vehicle is still at least two years away from being introduced to the market, but other hybrid-like technologies are expected to make their way into Land Rover models before then. For starters, Land Rover is currently developing a start-stop system that will shut off the engine when at a stop light or in traffic. A regenerative braking system is also in the works, that would see energy from braking stored in a battery and then either used to power on-board electronics or even be used to help power the SUV.

[Source: AutoExpress]