31 Mar 09 15:05
New auto for Land Rover
Though revised-for-2010 Range Rover, Range Rover Sport and Discovery 4 models (all to be revealed next week at the New York Auto Show) are all to get an updated version of the current ZF six-speed automatic gearbox, an all-new eight-speed transmission is under development.
A Land Rover engineer told 4Car that this gearbox should deliver fuel economy improvements of over 10%, due to the wider choice of gear ratios, with particular benefits in urban driving.
This will go some way to compensate for the fact that a stop-start system is now unlikely in these models for some time. Such a set-up, as in the Freelander TD4e, is difficult to engineer to work with automatic transmission, especially when smoothness and refinement are priorities.
Though stop-start will eventually feature in the larger Land Rover models, the eight-speed auto is more imminent.
Along with developments to further improve aerodynamics, and items such as lower rolling-resistance tyres delivering incremental benefits, the Range Rover, Range Rover Sport and Discovery will in future promise to be more economical.
Land Rover, which admits to a 'catastrophic decline' in recent sales in the USA and Europe, is confident that its revised-for-2010 line-up puts it in a strong position to pick up sales once recovery from recession begins.
MD Phil Popham, speaking at a preview event this week, stressed that 'in this difficult economic environment Land Rover is very much alive and kicking', and that it is now seeing some stability for the second half of 2009.
Besides the updated top-end models, Land Rover is preparing its new small model, based on the LRX concept. It is getting a £27million grant from the UK government for this car's development, and is investing a further £400 million to bring it to production.
Despite its size, it will be badged as a Range Rover, however. Its focus will be on design, premium quality and desirable features, rather than utility and practicality. 'It's got to be a Range Rover,' said Popham, though 'the smallest, lightest, most efficient Range Rover ever'.
