Land Rover DC100 Concept is the design directory for the new Defender

After Tata Motors acquired JLR, it has opened a web of possibilities for both companies. In a recent interview with Autocar, Ratan Tata confirmed that the next generation Defender will be built right here in India in Tata Motors’ Pune plant.

Manufacturing the Defender in India will provide immense cost savings for JLR making the Defender more affordable to own. It will bring the production closer to the Asia Pacific region where Tata Motors expect it to sell the most. Some Defender models would be sent back to the Solihull plant in the U.K. for final assembly as part of what the company is calling a “reverse complete knock down” (CKD) operation.

JLR has already given us a preview of the next gen Defender through the DC100 concept. However, the production version will have different wheels, lights, grilles and interior styling. It will be a LR3 body-on-frame construction just like the Range Rover and Evoque. The key aspects of focus will be packaging, comfort, controls and dynamics.

Another interesting piece of information is that the next gen Defender will share a components with the next gen Tata Aria. The two chassis will not be identical but should be close enough in dimensions and specification to share the same manufacturing process. Hopefully, this move will benefit the Tata Aria as well as one can expect vast improvements in terms of quality.

[Source: Autocar.co.uk]

The new model will sit on an extended version (12 inch longer to be precise) of the Evoque’s platform bridging the gap between the current Evoque and the Range Rover Sport. The third row will be optional and can be traded for cargo space.

The Evoque XL will compete with the BMW X5, Mercedes M-Class and the Audi Q7. Four more new models will be based on the same platform to increase the economies of scale.

The fire power will come from 1.8-liter direct-injection turbo producing as much as 170 horsepower. A diesel engine will also be plonked for specific markets like India. A hybrid version with a twin motor is also planned thanks to JLR’s hybrid development program.

The Evoque XL will be made from super light materials and aluminum composites and will be manufactured in the same factory in UK where the current Evoque is made.

Source: InsideLine.com

Make sure to see our first look of the Range Rover Evoque

The baby Range Rover is a preferred topic of discussion and drool over a glass of beer at the local pub. Its a crowd magnet in JLR showrooms. It even makes some of the people I know work harder in the hope that enough money is saved very soon to own one!

Bigwigs in the fashion industry such as Victoria Beckham were responsible for the Evoque’s voluptuous design. At the New Delhi launch, it made the saucy newcomer Nargis Fakhri posing beside look like an ordinary woman dressed in expensive clothes. With such reputation, upbringing and background, the Evoque is evoking emotions that make people look silly.

A Chinese man has fallen so much in love with the Evoque that he didn’t blink twice before putting down an extra 14 lakh rupees (27k US$/30K RMB) to get China’s first Evoque, a white top-end model with panoramic sunroof and special alloy wheels delivered to his home. Excited about his new ride, he took a lot of pictures and posted it on a Chinese forum where his act received plenty of dirty responses, words we won’t translate into English on IndianAutosBlog.com.

Head over to AutoHome.com.cn to see snaps of a car belonging to a man who appreciates the Evoque more than anyone else.

Concept LRX was conceived by Land Rover to average their CAFÉ ratings. Unlike other Land Rover products, it was designed to be a city runabout and was inspired by various successful cities all across globe. Having showcased the model, Land Rover did not have enough money to put it into production.

On 11 March 2009, the UK government announced a £27 million grant to be made available to Land Rover for the production of the LRX. And thus was born the Evoque, Land Rover’s idea of a bold fashion statement.

Two Evoques that welcomed us at the launch

After being caught on ARAI test a couple of times and being featured on Land Rover India website, rumormill went in high gear about the possibility of a November launch of the Evoque in India. Finally, Land Rover India decided to take the wraps of the Evoque on a bright Friday afternoon in their Mumbai dealership.

Walk up to the Evoque and you notice something rather suspicious. Unlike Range Rover, Freelander and Discovery, the Evoque is small; very small. It is almost like an overgrown hatchback. But then again, this is a city runabout and needs to be small to be able to zip through the overcrowded streets New York, Shanghai and well Mumbai now.

The Evoque does not command attention by being big and bulky like other SUVs. The Evoque grabs your eyeballs because of the level of attention to details on the design.

If I had two words to sum up the Evoque’s design, they will be ‘Modern’ and ‘Contemporary’. Having said that, the designers have not completely forgotten the Range Rover’s DNA in the Evoque. While a Range Rover generally dons a very  squarish design, the Evoque features the same design but in a swept back, more aerodynamic kind of way.

This one has a body kit on it

On display were two Evoques at the Mumbai showroom. One was in red and had a distinct body kit on it and the other one was in white with no body kit. The front of the Evoque features a swept back, single projector head lamps design that adds aggression to the design. The classic details such as the clamshell bonnet, the all-time favorite grille and the floating roof reminds you of its heritage.

The rear is typical Range Rover

The muscular wheel arches blend into the side profile of the Evoque giving it a very macho stance. The 18 inch alloy wheels raise the Evoque very high of the ground to make it look like a soft roader. There are side vents with chrome strips that add small but significant touches to the design.

The rear of the Evoque comes back to the typical Range Rover design with a sloping rear wind screen and a flat rear hatchet that gives access to the adequately large boot space. The rear lamps with their circular LED signature lighting and tapering blade indicator clusters add the final bit of flair to complete the design.

A mighty impressive design that leaves a mark on the on-lookers

The Evoque’s design has received the coveted ‘Design the of the Year’ award and for good measure. It conveys many emotions in a very sophisticated manner to its audience. In terms of design, it is right up there with the Aston DB9 and Maserati GranTurismo.

Step inside the Evoque and you notice that you sit much closer to the ground than other Land Rover products. Additionally, one notices that although the Evoque externally looks very small, it is quite roomy from the inside. The ‘bling factor’ from the outside is not carried over to the inside of the Evoque. The Evoque’s interior are not flashy at all. In fact, they are very conservative and classy.

The continuous center console splits the cabin

The dashboard is pretty simple and huge buttons make it look even more simplistic. The 8 inch touchscreen in the center grabs your attention, so does the pop up gear knob and the panoramic sunroof. You also get a push button start but it does not pulsate like it does in the Jag XF (something I like very much).

The rear seats are very spacious and comfortable

The seats are very body hugging and leather stitch is impeccable. The rear seats provide ample space in terms of headroom and legroom. The materials used for putting together the dashboard are very well thought of and the build quality is fantastic. Each front headrest has an integrated screen for the rear passengers to enjoy on-the-go entertainment from the meridian sound system.

You can play your CD or connect your iPod/USB or stream the music through Bluetooth. This chic city runabout definitely makes you feel special when you sit inside it.

Panoramic sunroof includes power blinds

Two types of engine options are available on the Evoque:

• Three door: Powered by a 2.0 L Si4 petrol engine with 240 PS and  340 Nm
• Five door: Powered by a 2.2 L SD4 diesel engine with 190 PS and 420 Nm

Both are mated to a automatic 6 speed transmission with paddle shifters and come with four wheeled drive only. The Evoque also features Terrain Response system which lets you choose the set up of the car depending on the road condition. Cruise control also comes as standard on all variants.

On the safety side, the Evoque is fitted with Roll Stability Control, Dynamic Stability Control, Hill Descent Control, 6 Airbags and Electric Parking Brakes.

With prices starting from 44.75 lakhs (ex showroom Mumbai), the Evoque theoretically competes against BMW X3 and Audi Q5. But in reality, with its flamboyant styling, concept car looks, amazing gadgetry and a stunning road presence, the Evoque is in a league of its own.

The Evoque stands apart from its competition...miles apart!

The Evoque is a perfect example of something called ‘synergy’ – when the sum is much greater than its parts. Where the BMW X3 and the Audi Q5 is a 2+2=4 equation, the Evoque is a 2+2=6. It captivates your attention and then delivers everything that you expect; and some more. It is culmination of contemporary fashion and utmost utility which is very difficult to achieve.

The Evoque is sure to be a big hit with the B town celebrities who are hunting for eyeballs. No wonder Land Rover has exhausted all the booking for the Evoque and the waiting period is more than 6 months.

IndianAutosBlog.com is coming to you live from the Range Rover Evoque launch in Mumbai. Keep refreshing this page for the details.

Update – Range Rover Evoque launched at 44.75 lakh rupees (ex-showroom Mumbai) in three diesel options and one petrol option with 6-speed automatic transmission. Customers can choose between 3-door and 5-door body styles and bookings are open.

Range Rover Evoque India Brochure

The very first one will be the Evoque, a baby Range Rover, the second one is speculated to be the facelifted XF which was showcased at the New York Motor show.

The Evoque launch is a no brainer because recently Land Rover India updated its website with all the details of the Evoque including the brochure. Carwale predicts that the launch could happen as soon as 4^th of November. The Evoque will head to India in both 3 door and 5 door versions. There are speculations that all the Evoque units that were allocated for India have been sold out till the 2012. The Evoque is all set to storm the market at a stunning price of 50 lakhs.

There is no exact information available on what the second model might be. But speculations are rife that Jaguar will bring the facelifted XF in India. The new XF has been on sale in international markets since quite some time now and it is about time Jaguar updates the India line up.

The facelifted XF has some subtle changes to the design language. The new XF has caught the German fever of daytime LEDs integrated in the headlamps. The headlamps themselves are sharper and more aggressive.

The bulge on the bonnet has become more prominent. The rear features a new LED tail lamps cluster with a thin chrome strip joining the two tail lamps. The engine options available will be a 3 liter V6 diesel engine, a naturally aspirated 5 liter V8 petrol engine and a supercharged 5 liter V8 petrol engine.

Jaguar could also launch the 2.2L entry level diesel model in India to rake in some volumes. The expected price of the new XF will be around 40-50 lakh rupees.

[Source - EconomicTimes.IndiaTimes.com via CarWale.com]

In fact, the baby Range Rover is such a big hit in the international markets that the first year of production was completely sold out before the units were even manufactured.

However, one Range Rover Evoque was spotted testing in Pune. We assumed that the test mule was completing its ARAI testing and JLR would be looking forward to the Auto Expo launch in 2012. Turns out, the Land Rover India is looking at a much sooner launch than the Auto Expo.

Land Rover has updated its website with all the information of the Evoque signaling a November launch. The Evoque will be available in 2 body styles:

• A three door: Powered by a 2.0 L Si4 petrol engine with 240 PS and  340 Nm
• A five door: Powered by a 2.2 L SD4 diesel engine with 190 PS and 420 Nm

A six-speed automatic gearbox with paddle shifters and four-wheel-drive transmission is mandatory. The 5 door version somehow makes more practical sense because it has more space and it’s a diesel.

The 5 door version is further available in 3 variants – Pure, Prestige and Dynamic (ala Tata Aria). The 3 door version is only available in a Dynamic variant. The Evoque is loaded with cool technologies such as hill descent control, terrain response, start-stop technology and regenerative brake system.

Your Evoque can be ordered in 11 color options and the levels of customization are limitless. Don’t forget to go through the brochure to check out the customizations.

The website does not mention anything about the price. The Evoque will be imported into India in a CBU form so expect the price to reach close to 50 lakhs. However, considering the production for the first year is completely sold out, we wonder what the waiting period in India will be. But one thing for sure, the Evoque is bound to strike a chord with the Bollywood celebrities.

Range Rover Evoque India Brochure

Source – Land Rover India

Codenamed L405, 2013 Range Rover will be based on the XJ platform but with a unique bulkhead, suspension mounts, seating position and subframes. It will be built around a new pressed aluminum monocoque that is expected to shave off nearly 990 pounds of its weight. It will be slightly wider and around 25mm longer than the Mk3. The new architecture has released 125mm in legroom.

The design of the new SUV will be very much influenced by the Evoque. The new Range Rover will have a steeply raked windscreen and a sloping roofline. The substantial headlamps and rear light clusters will be much slimmer and less obtrusive. Even the vent in the front wing will be dramatically slanted, reflecting the angle of the windscreen.

The interior will be heavily influenced by the current Autobiography Ultimate Edition. The company is trying to achieve “Bentley levels of craftsmanship and quality”. The Range Rover is also expected to share a new electrical architecture with the XJ.

The new SUV will be powered by the same basic range of V6 and V8 diesels and V8 and supercharged V8 petrols. There is also a possibility of ditching the V8s and opting for supercharged V6. A plug-in hybrid version is also in the works which is expected to use a 69kW electric motor with a 14kWh battery, giving it the ability to cover about 20 miles on pure electricity. All engines will be mated to an 8 speed gearbox which will do the cog shifting duties.

This will be the first major upgrade after BMW designed the Range Rover 11 years back. The price for all this new and improved technology is a tad over £100,000 in some guises. The new Range Rover is expected to debut in the fall of 2012. Until then, we will keep you posted on the developments.

[Source - AutoCar.co.uk via WorldCarFans.com ]