Is A Baby Land Rover On The Way?
Is Land Rover planning on introducing a new SUV that is even smaller than the current entry-level pairing of the Evoque and the LR2 (each of which ride on the same platform)? Autocar says that the British brand is currently considering an even less expensive model to serve as a gateway to the brand - as well as draw customers who may have been attracted to other premium, compact offerings like the BMW X1.
Like the Mercedes-Benz GLK-Class, a baby-Land Rover would most likely feature butch looks, similar to the DC100 concepts as well as the recent Land Rover Defender styling exercises. The vehicle would also retail for less than $30,000 USD, which would put it in the reach of the largest group of potential Land Rover buyers yet. The move to a more volume-focused SUV offering ties in to Jaguar Land Rover's desire to expand into a greater number of product segments in order to leverage recent infrastructure investments in China - including a factory built in partnership with the Chery brand.