Land Rover will introduce a 2WD option (in addition to the 4WD derivative) for the new compact Range Rover. On sale in 2011, the 2WD vehicle will emit less than 130g/km of CO2 (Irish Motor Tax Band B)– making it the lightest, most fuel efficient Range Rover ever.
As part of the introduction of 2WD, Land Rover will be focussing on three main areas of technology to reduce the weight of Land Rover vehicles, reduce parasitic losses and increase powertrain efficiency.
Hybrid technology is also set to feature on the larger vehicles in the range. The first diesel hybrid will be available in 2012 and on the road in 2013.
By the end of 2010 Land Rover will be testing the first diesel hybrid prototype called the 'range_e' which is being developed using a Range Rover Sport platform. Tests of this vehicle will use the existing 3.0 litre TDV6 diesel engine featuring a ZF 8-speed automatic transmission. The goal is to achieve a range of 32km using electric power only emitting less than 100 g/km of CO2 emissions and to achieve a top speed of over 190km/h.