It starts with an idea. Someone draws a sketch, then the innards are filled, models are made, designs are done on the computer, then clay. Pictures are rendered in design software, then Photoshopped.
Some get leaked. When a bit autoshow looms, some design house in a dark corner of a dark alley gets the contract, and a concept car slowly comes into life in a dark room in a basement with a small door.
That's probably how the LRX concept was made.
Land Rover, the company which is worshipped in the off roading field, the same people who have brought us things like the Defender, the Range Rover, and the Discovery announced a while back that they would be putting this concept into production.
Essentially, it would be a semi replacement for the Freelander, but at a slightly upmarket niche.
The obvious contenders would be BMW X3 and Audi Q5. The beemer has excellent handling characteristics on the road, but once you run out of tarmac, it struggles like a fish out of water.
The Audi is pretty much the same.
This is where the offering from Land Rover will shine, or hopes to shine. Even the first generation Freelander which was notorious for its unreliability had class leading off road ability. Land rover has come a long way since then, and the improvements which were seen in the Discovery 3 speak for themselves.
Lots of the looks from the car show will be carried forward to production phase, and this would be powered by a handful of engines, which probably would be sourced from Ford.
Porsche is also planning a mini Cayenne, but when Land Rover comes out with this, it would leave everything else disoriented in a cloud of dust.
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