REPORT: Land Rover to debut LRX next June for 2011 launch

Land Rover is set to celebrate the first 40 years of its eminently capable Range Rover line next June. What better birthday present to itself than to unleash a new model that's set to bring its wares up to date with the modern realities of fuel efficiency and a reduced environmental impact?

The vehicle in question is the new Range Rover LRX, and Autocar in the U.K. is reporting that the small Rover will see its debut on June 17, 2010 with the first production models rolling down the line in early 2011. Styling both inside and out is expected to stay very close to the well-received LRX concept from the 2008 Detroit Auto Show.

Based on underpinnings shared with the Freelander (that's the LR2 here in the States), the LRX could feature a transverse engine driving the front wheels with the first application of the marque's e TERRAIN electric drive rear axle, a setup that is said to be capable of powering the rear wheels using battery power only at speeds up to 20 mph.

[Source: Autocar]