Autoblog

Paris Preview: Land Rover reveals the Evoque

Jonathon Ramsey — Tue, 21 Sep 2010 20:00:00 EST

Filed under: SUV, Paris Motor Show, Land Rover, Luxury

2012 Land Rove Evoque - Click above for high-res image gallery

Here's the production 2012 Range Rover Evoque in all its glory, and the LRX-inspired CUV is lighter, meaner and greener than anything to come from the Range Rover arsenal.

Buyers can opt for three exterior design themes: Pure, a minimalistic take with 19-inch wheels and natural colors complemented by brushed metal trim adorning the insides; Prestige, a "bespoke exterior" treatment with exclusive 19-inch wheels paired "an indulgent interior;" or Dynamic, with 19- or 20-inch wheels a reworked bodykit, and a sportier cabin complete with perforated leather seats and a bit more bling.

Inside, the interior is influenced not only by the Range Rover Sport, but by Jaguar as well. Seriously bolstered seats straddle a center tunnel where a rotary gear transmission selector rises to hand. The four-setting Terrain Response System dial has been replaced with buttons attending an illuminated menu and controls are mainly managed through an eight-inch touchscreen. Aural enjoyment is provided by the 825-watt, 17-speaker Meridian sound system with additional inputs for other peripherals.

Underneath the Evoque's hood is a 2.0-liter EcoBoost engine that, naturally, is not called EcoBoost. Referred to as the Si4, it's been developed for North American audiences and produces 240 horsepower that runs through a six-speed automatic transmission. Electric power steering is standard, a regenerative electrical system captures energy when things get hauled down and everything is kept on an even keel thanks to a MagneRide adaptive dynamics suspension.

Sales of the LRX start in the fall of 2011, and all the info you could want can be found in the press release after the jump, while dessert is in the gallery of high-res photos below. We'll be getting even closer to it in a week's time at the Paris Motor Show.

Gallery: 2012 Range Rover Evoque

[Source: Land Rover]

Continue reading Paris Preview: Land Rover reveals the Evoque

Paris Preview: Land Rover reveals the Evoque originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 21 Sep 2010 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Report: Land Rover Evoque to get 2.0-liter EcoBoost from Ford?

Jonathon Ramsey — Wed, 25 Aug 2010 17:00:00 EST

Filed under: Paris Motor Show, Crossover, Ford, Land Rover, Luxury

Jaguar's got a good thing going with its use of Ford engines, and even an engine shortage isn't enough to deter Land Rover from getting in on the game. A report in Autocar suggests that the Land Rover Evoque could make use of the 2.0-liter, four-cyliinder Ecoboost engine that Ford just installed as the premium engine into the 2011 Explorer.

On the 'sceptered isle, the same Ecoboost serves in the Mondeo, but with 203 horsepower instead of the 237 that the Explorer variant outputs. Since Land Rover won't say anything about the report, probably trying to maintain the surprise until the Evoque is revealed at the Paris Motor Show, we don't know which tune the Evoque might get. But that engine and the possibility of using Ford's six-speed, dual-clutch Powershift transmission could go all the way to backing up Land Rover's assertion that the Evoque will be the most fuel-efficient vehicle it has ever produced.

[Source: Autocar]

Report: Land Rover Evoque to get 2.0-liter EcoBoost from Ford? originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 25 Aug 2010 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Rumormill: Range Rover plans fourth model

Jeremy Korzeniewski — Sat, 07 Aug 2010 17:44:00 EST

Filed under: SUV, Crossover, Land Rover, Rumormill, Luxury

Range Rover Evoque - Click above to enlarge

According to Autocar, Land Rover isn't done expanding its Range Rover model lineup now that the Evoque has made its official debut. Citing so-called "well-placed sources," the UK mag suggests that LR is surprised by the overwhelmingly positive reaction to the new entry-level Range Rover - enough that it's now considering another model to slot in below the Range Rover Sport.

The report goes on to suggest that development of the proposed machine has barely begun and there's no clear indication of what exactly is in store, though a seven-passenger "lifestyle" (whatever that means...) vehicle has been hinted at. It's thought that the Range Rover Sport may be moved slightly upmarket from its current £46,000 (just over $60,000 U.S.) starting price to make room for this theoretical new model. In any case, considering that the Evoque is still quite a way off, we don't expect to see this new rumor fulfilled any time soon.

[Source: Autocar]

Rumormill: Range Rover plans fourth model originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 07 Aug 2010 17:44:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Rumormill: Three-door Mini Countryman to gun for Land Rover Evoque?

Zach Bowman — Tue, 20 Jul 2010 13:31:00 EST

Filed under: Coupe, Budget, Crossover, Mini, Rumormill

It looks like Land Rover may have accidentally kicked over a hive of hornets by rolling out its new two-door Evoque. We recently heard all about BMW musing as to whether or not to build an X4 to compete with the crossover, and now Auto Express is reporting that Mini may be game to take on the newcomer as well. We're not talking about the Countryman here, either. The site claims that the head honchos at Mini are mulling bringing a two-door version of the high-rider to life, and that it will be called the Canyon when it arrives.

Auto Express doesn't cite any sources or point to any hard evidence of this decision (no surprise there). Instead, the site has chosen to rely on the fact that the company has been kicking around the idea of a vehicle like the Canyon since 2005. Now that the Countryman is headed for production, the logic is that it wouldn't take too much effort to slim the platform, throw on two doors and bolt up one very coupe-looking roof. Thing is, until we hear word from Mini itself, we're going to have to approach this one with a whole heap of skepticism.

[Source: Auto Express]

Rumormill: Three-door Mini Countryman to gun for Land Rover Evoque? originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 20 Jul 2010 13:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Report: BMW not ruling out X4M

Zach Bowman — Mon, 19 Jul 2010 18:30:00 EST

Filed under: SUV, Crossover, Hatchback, BMW, Land Rover, Rumormill, Luxury

The automotive landscape must be stacked to the sky with kindling right now. It seems like it takes little more than a spark of interest in one odd duckling of a model to create a wildfire of a new segment. From the monsoon of crossovers currently drowning our fair nation's freeways to weird hatch/crossover/sedan creations like the BMW 5 Series Gran Turismo and Honda Accord Crosstour, market segmentation is all the rage right now, and it doesn't look like it'll be slowing up anytime soon.

According to Autocar, Land Rover may have started something with its ~~LRX~~ Evoque. The site claims that BMW may be looking to broaden its X lineup with the addition of an X4 - which would predictably fall just above the X3 and below the X5 - to do battle with the new low-riding Land Rover. Odds are that where Land Rover and BMW trod, others soon will follow. Autocar even goes on to say that an X4 would make it easy for the company to roll out an X4 M, complete with a 350-horsepower 3.0-liter twin-turbo I6 borrowed from the upcoming 1 Series M Coupe. Yes, it would probably sell like hotcakes, even if we can see no reason to blast the X stable into ever finer divisions.

[Source: Autocar]
Photo by Drew Phillips / Copyright (C)2010 Weblogs, Inc.

Report: BMW not ruling out X4M originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 19 Jul 2010 18:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Land Rover puts a spin on spy shot camouflage to introduce Evoque to the world

Zach Bowman — Fri, 16 Jul 2010 12:00:00 EST

Filed under: Marketing/Advertising, Crossover, Land Rover, Luxury

2011 Land Rover Range Rover Evoque says hello - Click above for high-res image gallery

Having already introduced its new two-door Range Rover Evoque to the world, Land Rover is taking a different tack when it comes to testing its pre-production fleet. While most manufacturers stick to draping their wares in plenty of psychedelic camouflage and plastic cladding to disguise the vehicle, Land Rover has taken to swaddling its prototypes in neon vinyl wraps to stir up a little buzz. The company is launching its final wave of testing on the vehicle, including putting the CUV through its paces in extreme environments like the Arctic.

Meanwhile, in its quest to iron out all possible bugs, engineers will be driving the Evoque around cities from New York to Shanghai - 10 in all. The Evoque will wear a vinyl wrap with a detailed GPS map of its foster city traced in neon lines from stem to stern. Very cool. Land Rover claims that the Evoque will be the lightest and most fuel-efficient vehicle the company has ever created. Whether that's true or not, this pre-production stunt will likely win the new comer the most outgoing award. Check out the gallery of high-res images below, then hit the jump for the full press blast.

Gallery: Land Rover Evoque Says Hello

[Source: Land Rover]

Continue reading Land Rover puts a spin on spy shot camouflage to introduce Evoque to the world

Land Rover puts a spin on spy shot camouflage to introduce Evoque to the world originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 16 Jul 2010 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Tata out to raise $1 billion to reduce debt and expand JLR product line

Jonathon Ramsey — Wed, 07 Jul 2010 06:58:00 EST

Filed under: Jaguar, Land Rover, Earnings/Financials, Tata

2011 Jaguar XJ - Click above for high-res image gallery

Ford spent a fortune to buy Jaguar in 1989 and Land Rover in 2000, then spent billions on each of them getting them into fighting shape. Tata spent billions to buy JLR in 2008, and has since been raising and spending billions to retain their fighting shape and get them even fitter. The Indian firm is planning a funding round via shares, equity and the like in order to scare up another $1 billion.

Tata is a massive conglomerate and the funds will go to reducing the company's overall debt-to-equity ratio, but the number we were most interested in was £600 million pounds - almost the entire amount of the funding round, $908 million. That's the amount Tata says it will spend this year on new product development at at JLR.

In May we were told that Tata would invest £1 billion per year on JLR, but we won't quibble about being short £400 million for now with the Evoque, a meaner XKR, an XE and maybe also an F-Type being forged. So even if the Ford and Tata initial experience with JLR sound familiar, we give Tata credit: for all those billions they're spending, there isn't an X-Type in sight.

Gallery: First Drive: 2011 Jaguar XJ

[Source: Bloomberg]

Tata out to raise $1 billion to reduce debt and expand JLR product line originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 07 Jul 2010 06:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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