British car-maker planning to grow volume with smaller version of Defender, Evoque and Disco Sport.
Land Rover is readying entry-level SUVs that will sit beneath both the Discovery Sport and the Evoque to boost its volume in all global markets.
According to Autocar, the British SUV brand is keen to introduce a SUV smaller than the original first-generation Freelander that will measure in at less than 4.2-metres long.
Set to be introduced in 2021, the baby SUV could even revive the original ‘Freelander’ nameplate says an insider speaking to the Brit mag.
Designed to attract a younger, less affluent buyers to the brand, Land Rover hopes such a model will help deliver a new audience and tempt them to upgrade to more expensive models as their salaries and families grow.
According to an insider, it’s not the first time a baby Land Rover SUV has been considered. In the past these have been shelved twice over concerns regarding the smaller profit margins a cheaper ‘Freelander’ would attract.
The success of new rivals like Audi’s Q2 (that has sold well and attracted new customers to the German brand) is said to have changed JLR execs’ opinions.
Still yet to get the final sign-off, however, it’s thought a baby Land Rover’s development costs will be offset by spinning-off a smaller, more expensive Range Rover model to sit below the current Evoque.
If that’s not enough to boost profit margins, Land Rover bosses are also considering a third model that will look like a shrunken version of the next-generation Defender.
Although, such a model, says Autocar, is only likely to share powertrains and electronic architecture as it’s likely to sit on a tougher separate chassis rather than the other two car’s more car-like monocoque.
Developed under the codename ‘D10’, to cut costs both the Freelander and mini-Evoque will be based on a shortened version of the Discovery Sport’s D8 architecture.
All three will be built at the car maker’s new Slovakian car plant that takes advantage of lower labour rates and greater efficiencies.
The only fly-in-the-ointment for JLR bosses, is struggling to make a business case for a family of baby SUVs without a pure-electric version, or even a plug-in hybrid. Both are necessary to break the Chinese market but the use of the older D8 platform rules out electrified powertrains and the cost of re-engineering it is prohibitive.
Once that problem is solved, it’s thought the baby Land Rover, Range Rover and mini Defender will be green-lit for production.
Next year, Range Rover will break new ground when it launches its first pure-electric SUV.
The yet-to-be-named pure-electric crossover has been co-developed with Jaguar and is set to share its pure-electric powertrain and platform with the next 2019 Jaguar XJ.
Comments
Post a Comment