17 Jan 08
One of the highlights of the 2008 Detroit Motor Show was undoubtedly the Land Rover LRX concept.
A small and sporty three-door diesel hybrid that the company says shows 'a vision of its future', the LRX is a cross-coupe, which will see it compete with the BMW X6, a production version of which was also shown for the first time in Detroit.
Although smaller than the Freelander, it has been designed to be very much a premium product, the kind of car that 'would be comfortable on Bond Street or Fifth Avenue, but wouldn't flinch at getting its wheels dirty.'
Its compact size and the fact that it is driven by a diesel hybrid also means that it has a ready-made constituency in current owners of SUVs who will be able to downsize without having forego comfort and a high driving position, but will save money on congestion charges and road tax thanks to a CO2 rating of 120g/km.
The man behind the LRX is Land Rover's design director Gerry McGovern. McGovern has been with Land Rover since August 2006, but also had a stint there in the 90s, and the LRX is the first major design project in his current tenure. 4Car spoke to him in Detroit about the LRX.
