Land Rover is testing the next generation of the Range Rover. This model, set to debut in 2013 is currently being tested by the British company. Land Rover is using a modified body of the current luxury SUV with a different front end and more muscular wheel arches.
Although the looks of the 2013 Range Rover are still a mystery, some details of the car are already known. The new Range Rover will get a new lightweight aluminium chassis, benefiting from the know-how of Jaguar. Also, the new model will feature an alloy body shell and some components made out of composite materials.
The 2013 Range Rover will receive a marginal increase in dimensions, but most important is the extensive use of lightweight materials which should improve the fuel economy, CO2 emissions and performance. It has been rumored that new luxury SUV will loose almost half a ton of its weight compared to the current model, which weighs between 2,580kg and 2,810kg.
The new Range Rover will be powered by refined version of the current powerplants, including V6 and V8 diesels, and a petrol powered V8 in both naturally aspirated and supercharged formats connected to Land Rover’s eight-speed automatic transmission. A hybrid model is in the works as well. Land Rover earlier showed the hybrid powertrain with the Range-E Concept at the Geneva Salon this past March.
The Range-E Concept is based on a Range Rover Sport and features a 3.0 liter TDV6 diesel with an eight-speed ZF automatic transmission. The engine is connected to a plug-in parallel diesel hybrid system that enables the Range Rover to achieve 89g of CO2. It has a hybrid range of 32km, a top speed of around 193km/h and a complete range of 1,112km.
[Via Carscoop]
I think these spy shots are fake. for one the registration is German ! Range Rover is British and should be 1st registered in the UK for any testing to be done where ever it may be carried out. Secondly the front masking is a Photoshop job and not a real one.
okjoij