Despite Ford ’s plan to sell off Land Rover (as well as fellow Brit Jaguar ), drawing plans are on the table for a seven-seat version of its smallest SUV, called LR2 in North America and Freelander elsewhere. Particularly in the European market, demand for multi-seat SUVs, wagons and vans is on the rise, so a seven-seat model would seem practical.
British automotive publication AutoExpress says that the seven-seater will join the Land Rover range in about 18 months and that in Europe. Competition from new models, like the Peugeot 4007, a Peugeot-badged Mitsubishi Outlander , is heating up and Land Rover bosses think they need something to differentiate their model.
Land Rover has neither confirmed or denied the third row of seats, although a source close to the project says it’s a reality. The larger LR3 (still known as the Discovery in most markets) offers a third row of seats, but it has climbed up in price considerably compared to the model it replaced.
