The new Range Rover Evoque has been much applauded by the press and is pushing Range Rover sales figures to heights the company has never seen before.

German auto giant Volkswagen wants a piece of the action and is now planning to bring its Evoque-fighter to the market by 2014. This new model will sit on a modified Golf platform.

VW’s R&D boss Ulrich Hackenberg says he thinks the crossover segment will continue grow and that customers want the high seating position with muscular style and sporty driving dynamics.

VW recently showed a concept of this new vehicle at the Tokyo Motor Show, called the Cross Coupe. While the concept was a plug-in hybrid, the production model will have many different petrol and diesel engines on option, with either a normal hybrid or a plug-in hybrid at some point in its life.

Even a longer, seven-seater version is planned, primarily for the American market. The target date for this new stylish SUV is 2014, which gives Range Rover plenty of time to sell as many Evoques as it can, before the competition arrives to take pieces out of its pie.

GALLERY: VW Cross Coupe

[Source: Autocar]

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]

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

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

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]

It’s that time of the year again as Car of the Year begins the laborious task of whittling down new Car of the Year contenders for 2012.

A total of 59 journalists, representing automotive authorities across 23 European countries, have been recruited for the task of choosing top car. The number of journalists to represent each country is based on the relative size of the said country’s car market. Countries like Spain, Germany, Italy, and Great Britain have a well established market, and each will be represented by six journalists.

As for cars, only completely redesigned new models that have launched within the twelve months before the contest are counted. Each car must be available in at least five European countries and must have an expected sales volume no less than 5,000.

Categories considered include design, safety, performance, and price. This year, says the judging committee, technical innovation and value will be especially influential. What also makes Car of the Year unique is the absence of separate genres for its candidates. Rather than selecting the best of the compacts or the best trucks, vehicles with all sorts of engine size and body types will be vying for the same allotment of points.

Comparison testing of the vehicles will be performed in Sweden.

The following 35 candidates selected for the 2012 Car of the Year award include:

Continue Reading…

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

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]

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]

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.