Land Rover to launch 2WD version of LRX

The new LRX will slot beneath the Freelander in Land Rover's range, and is based on the LRX concept car. Land Rover will offer the car with a choice of two-wheel-drive or four-wheel-drive variants, and says the 2WD version will be the cleanest vehicle ever produced by the company.

Land Rover's managing director Phil Popham says, "A 2WD option is just one way in which we are developing our vehicles efficiency whilst adding to the Land Rover range and expanding our customer base. We will continue to make the 'world's finest all-terrain vehicles' for those customers who require 4WD but will also now offer an alternative to those that don't."

Land Rover has also revealed more details about its upcoming plans to produce hybrid versions of their off-roaders, as seen in the Range_e concept car. The Range_e is expected to go on sale around 2012 or 2013, and will have a 3.0-litre turbo diesel TDV6 mated to an electric motor and an 8-speed ZF transmission. Top speed is quoted at 193km/h and the car can travel up to 32km on electric power alone.