Land Rover is continuing to expand its lineup with recent introductions like the Range Rover Velar and Range Rover SV Coupe, but it looks like the brand is just getting started. A new report claims that Land Rover is also looking to expand the lower end of its lineup with a range of baby SUVs.
According to Autocar, Land Rover will introduce several new models over the next four years that will take the brand into new segments. It’s already expected that the new Defender will get a pickup version and a more car-like Range Rover is also in the works. But the bigger news is the upcoming introduction of new entry level models, which will bring new buyers into the brand.
The new smaller models will be smaller than the current Range Rover Evoque and could even revive the old Freelander name, which went away in 2014. The first of these new models is slated to arrive in 2021. At only 13.8 feet long, the new small Land Rover will be the smallest model in the lineup, although it isn’t known yet which bucket it will fall into: Leisure, like the Discovery Sport; luxury like the flagship Range Rover; or utility like the next Defender. It’s expected that eventually each of the three ranges will get a small entry level model.
Autocar believes that a small Land Rover to sit below the Discovery Sport has the strongest case, since it could fill the shoes left by the original Freelander. Either way, all the new smaller SUVs will be based on a smaller platform codenamed “D10.” The platform is based on the D8 platform that’s used by the Discovery Sport, Range Rover Evoque and Jaguar E-Pace, but it’s been shortened and re-engineered. It’s also being reported that the new baby SUVs will be built at a new plant in Slovakia.
Source: Autocar