It’s been more than a year in the making, but it looks as though Land Rover ’s LRX Concept has finally secured the funding it needs to make the transition from show car to production model. As you may recall, the LRX Concept made its world debut at the 2008 Detroit Auto Show before resurfacing a few months later at the Geneva show.
Although Land Rover is now owned by India’s Tata Motors, the UK Government will be kicking in a £27 million grant to help aid the development of the production LRX. The grant is part of the UK Government’s Grant for Business Investment plan, and is independent of any auto bailout plans currently under consideration.
Land Rover says the new model will be a key part of its vehicle lineup, but failed announced when the production LRX would hit the market. The LRX is expected to be offered in five- and three-door variants.
Phil Popham, Managing Director of Land Rover, said about the production LRX: “It would be the smallest, lightest and most efficient Range Rover that we’ve ever built. The compact size, lighter weight and sustainability-focused technologies of the LRX Concept showed how Land Rover is planning to respond to the needs of a changing world.”
The total cost of bringing the LRX to market is expected to be around £400 million.
