Land Rover may build a new compact SUV

Land Rover may build a new compact SUV that will be offered in all the markets that it currently has a presence in. The compact SUV will be modelled along the lines of the DC100 concept and will be smaller than the Evoque crossover.

According to Autocar UK, The baby SUV will be built on a unique platform that will be shared with Tata and JLR’s new Chinese partner Chery. They also say that Tata is currently working on two new set of small engines which will be of 1.4-litre and 1.6-litre and will power the new model.

The SUV could also be the first Land Rover to be built entirely outside UK and the report suggests that the British automaker is considering producing the SUV from its Indian facility, but has not revealed any details in this regard.

Price wise, it is believed that the compact SUV will start at 18, 000 GBP (Rs 15 Lakh) and will be front-wheel drive in the lower variants.  It is obvious that the vehicle will be launched in our markets and will rival vehicles like the Skoda Yeti, the Grand Vitara and the Honda CR-V as well as the Ssangyong Rexton.

Meanwhile the company has also signed an agreement with a Sri Lankan company to open a production facility there. The company, SML Frontier Automotive, is currently in the process of setting up the facility and will begin production by the end of the year. 

Source: Autocar UK