Baby Land-Rover to pitch brand into new territory

Jan 15 2008 by Alistair Houghton, Liverpool Daily Post

LAND Rover unveiled its new “baby” vehicle at the US’s most prestigious motor show.

The LRX concept vehicle, which is smaller and more fuel-efficient than existing Land Rover models, was shown off to reporters at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit yesterday.

Land Rover says no formal decision has yet been made on when the car will go into production, but company sources have previously told the Daily Post that production could start at Halewood as early as next year.

Halewood already makes Land Rover’s Freelander 2, as well as the “baby” Jaguar X-type.

Meanwhile, Land Rover’s managing director, Phil Popham, told reporters at the show that Land Rover was “strongly in profit at the moment”, while Jaguar bosses said they believed the company would have a strong 2008.

Indian motor giant Tata Motors was this month named by Ford as the preferred bidder for Jaguar and Land Rover, which were put up for sale last year.

Land Rover has designed the LRX as a “desirable, premium and more compact 4x4” with lower carbon dioxide emissions than other Land Rover vehicles.

Design director Gerry McGovern said: “LRX has a highly desirable identity and the design alludes strongly to its capability, while clearly underlining our forward-looking philosophy – it’s a Land Rover that would be comfortable on Bond Street or Fifth Avenue, but wouldn’t flinch at getting its wheels dirty.”

Mr Popham said: “LRX is in every respect a Land Rover, but it’s a very different Land Rover.

“LRX has unmistakable Land Rover design and the breadth of capability that you’d expect from our vehicles.

“But it carries those essentials into a segment where the brand has never been before, and with a proposed level of efficiency that would make it one of the cleanest vehicles in its class.”

Jaguar managing director Mike O’Driscoll told reporters in Detroit that he expected Jaguar to perform better in 2008 than in 2007 thanks to the launch of the new XF saloon.

He said advance orders for the vehicle, which goes on sale in some markets from late February, were already above 6,500 worldwide.

US sales of the Halewood-built X-Type are set to be discontinued this year, as the unfavourable pound-dollar exchange rate has continued to make sales in the US unprofitable.

Mr O’Driscoll said US sales had fallen 24% to 15,683 cars in 2007 thanks to the X-Type’s falling sales.

But he said he was confident Jaguar could grow its sales in the crucial emerging markets of China and India.

alistairhoughton