7:47 am, February 2, 2009
DETAILS for Land Rover’s all-new car, due in 2011, have emerged from an unlikely source.
Parts supplier Haldex has announced it’s secured the contract to produce an all wheel drive system for the new sub-Freelander Range Rover.
Already used by the Freelander, it confirms the new model will use 4WD, rather than being an eco-biased front-drive machine.
It also suggests a rumoured hybrid version, using an electric motor to drive the rear wheels, may still be some way off.
Further intrigue is revealed by Haldex revealing the order ‘represents a 100 per cent increase in Haldex’s existing annual volume from Land Rover’.
It indicates Land Rover has high sales aspirations for the new vehicle, whose design has already been hinted at in the Land Rover LRX concept vehicle.
Since December 2006, Land Rover has built 140,000 Freelanders. The company is under pressure to produce more eco-friendly models; the LRX will be a key component in its future sustainability plans.
By Richard Aucock
