LRX will be true to concept: Land Rover boss

Fans of Land Rover's LRX showcar can relax just a touch -- the boss of the Brit four-by-four brand has confirmed the production version of the car will stay true to its concept coupe roots... Even if it does grow two more doors.

Speaking to the Carsales Network this week during a whistle-stop tour Down Under, Land Rover Managing Director Phil Popham (pictured) confirmed the car, due in showrooms in 2011, will be recognizably drawn from the show car.  He is confirmed the new car would wear a Range Rover badge -- taking to three, the body styles the premium sub-brand boasts.

"LRX will be put into production as a Range Rover. Most people will get to see that [production version] next year and it will be in showrooms in 2011," Popham told the Carsales Network.

When quizzed on how true the car would be to the concept car debuted at Detroit in January, the LR boss stated: "I think you will be more than pleasantly surprised."

According to Popham, the new car has been "comprehensively researched".

"We started out at Detroit; we took it to Shanghai; we took it to New York and some of the European shows and while the vehicle was there we took the opportunity to research it with customers, prospects, our dealers, our importers and journalists. The thing that came back consistently from them was if we could deliver something very, very close to the concept car in terms of design, feature and 'premiumness' [then] the unanimous opinion was it should be [badged] a Range Rover.

"At the same time we went through a pretty comprehensive feasibility study with our product development team and our engineers have got absolute confidence they can deliver on this car all the hallmarks of a Range Rover in terms of refinement [and] in terms of performance attributes [and] features," Popham said.

The LRX will be based on Land Rover's existing Freelander 2 -- itself based on a platform shared will Volvo and Ford. Land Rover will ensure it is worthy of wearing the Range Rover badge, however, promises Popham.

"We will invest in some things to enhance its feature content and refinement levels to make sure it really does live up to the Range Rover name," he explained.

"It'll be the smallest car we've ever produced, but it won't be the cheapest. It'll be premium because that was the other part of the research -- there is definitely a segment there, we believe, for a small premium car with a high level of feature and with a high level of 'premiumness' in terms of materials."

Popham also warrants the LRX will be green.

"It will be our most fuel-efficient vehicle ever... And our lightest ever... and I think that's making a statement of intent about Land Rover. There no doubt that sustainability for all our customers and all of our prospects is getting more and more important."

One area where the car will differ (as was the case with the Range Stormer concept, that preceded the launch of the Range Rover Sport) is in door count. Though the LRX showcar is a very tidy three-door it's likely that the production version will be a five-door.

Popham however holds out hope for those who want the full 'offroad coupe' experience. Indeed, he says the clinics conducted while researching the LRX saw the draw potential customers from almost all segments within the price bracket -- including specialist sportscars

"It has the opportunity to be a three door. I think there is a market for a premium coupe version. That is more 'white space' [a new segment to sell into]. That is something that is different," he says.

One thing Popham isn't keen to produce however is a smaller version of BMW's X6.

"The X6 hasn't been the success BMW expected -- and where it has been like China, it's taken sales from X5. Personally, I think BMW made its first real mistake with X6. It kind of doesn't really stand for anything...

"I look at it and think what they were trying to achieve are the things we are doing. They tried to create white space…

"We want 80 per cent of our small Range Rover business to be conquest business -- both to the brand and probably the 4x4 segment," the Land Rover boss opined.

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