When you think of powerful yet frugal and low emission models, the Range Rover lineup doesn’t exactly come to mind. With the next generation SUV though, the engineers at Land Rover are going to push their talents to the limit, and create a model that blends off-road performance with a lower fuel average and reduced CO2 emissions.
How will it do that? First off, through the new body the next generation Range Rover will sport, when it will appear in 2012. The overall shape and design won’t be drastically changed, but the height of the roof is going to see a reduction, in order to improve aerodynamics. Most importantly, a new riveted aluminum chassis is going to be used, resulting in a massive decrease in weight of 992 pounds (450 kg).
Secondly, the next Range Rover is going to boast much more efficient engines. The first units to be available will be a 300 HP TDV8 and a 260 HP TDV6. They will be followed by petrol variants, but it’s safe to say the oil burners are going to be the popular choices.
These units are going to be attached to a ZF eight-speed automatic gearbox, but don’t worry, as a transfer box will be making an appearance, in order to keep the off-road abilities of the Range. While it’s far from official, engineers are already speculating that the TDV6 will be able to offer 33 MPG (US) and emit under 200 g/km of CO2 (the current Range Rover emits over 300 g/km).
Also among the future plans for the next generation is a diesel electric hybrid, which would take the CO2 emissions even lower, around 170 g/km.
Overall, the next Range Rover is looking extremely good. What do you think? Is this blend of performance, luxury and fuel efficiency going to win over customers?
Source: Autocar
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