Livermore Land Rover Jaguar
Land Rover is unlikely to be alone in testing the waters with a high-end convertible soft-roader. While BMW has nothing in the pipeline, it is a brand that has shown it is prepared to push the boundaries with SUVs. Its X6 was the first sports-styled off-roader to sacrifice interior space - one of the main reasons people are switching to SUVs - for looks. BMW Australia's head of corporate communications, Piers Scott, hasn't ruled out a drop-top SUV in the long term. I can say categorically that there is nothing currently in the production plan,'' he says. But certainly, where we are concerned, nothing is off the table. At the other end of the scale, Ssangyong this week revealed sketches of a convertible SUV to be unveiled at next month's Geneva motor show. The South Korean brand's XIV-2 concept is touted as a ''strategic model for the global market'' and based on ''wind-in-the-hair driving enjoyment''. Kia is also reportedly considering an open-roofed version of the Soul crossover based on the Soulster concept revealed at the 2009 Detroit motor show. A recent Kia press release stated that the drop-top Soul is ''currently under final assessment for production''. The open-topped off-roader is nothing new, however. Nissan last year released the Murano CrossCabriolet in the US - a four-seat, two-door version of the awkwardly styled SUV with a fully automatic folding canvas roof. The Murano CC has, somewhat surprisingly, been quite successful in America but Nissan Australia says the car will never come here. The Willys Jeep - the first production off-roader purpose-built for the US military - was also fitted with a removable roof.
It鈥檚 one of the most highly anticipated new vehicles of 2020. So, why is everyone on the internet hating on the 2020 Land Rover Defender? It doesn鈥檛 get any more rugged than a Land Rover Defender, at least the old Defenders. Since its inception back in 1948 the style of the vehicle hasn鈥檛 changed all that much. Not everyone is impressed either. The new Defender looks soft and futuristic, which completely goes against the original target demographic - people who are fans of the original hard-nosed vehicle that could take on any terrain. When you see a Land Rover Defender that鈥檚 older than 2016, you鈥檒l undoubtedly find that it鈥檚 dirty, beat-up and miraculously still ticking. This new Land Rover Defender doesn鈥檛 look like it can stand up to the rigors of a spirited hill climb let alone the daily grind of farmers, builders and bushmen. Yet, looks can be deceiving.
The Electric Defender has all the qualities and performance which have become associated with the Land Rover brand during the past 65 years. However, it has been engineered in-house by Land Rover to test out the latest sustainable technologies. The vehicle鈥檚 Hill Descent Control is linked to a regenerative braking function, and overall up to 80 per cent of the car鈥檚 kinetic energy can be recovered. During each downhill trip at the Eden Project up to 30kW will be fed back into the batteries. Land Rover鈥檚 acclaimed Terrain Response system has been adapted for electric drive, offering a 50-mile range with a reserve of a further 12.5 miles. The result is a zero tailpipe emissions vehicle like no other; eight hours of low-speed off-road use is achievable, and it takes 10 hours for the advanced lithium-ion batteries to be fully charged. 鈥楩ast-charge鈥?technology reducing that to just fours is also possible. Jeremy Greenwood, Principal Engineer on the Electric Defender project, said the car was ideal for the sensitive ecology of the Eden Project. 鈥淭he car has been modified so it now includes a second battery,鈥?Jeremy explained. 鈥淭hat will allow it to work a full day at the Eden Project, but also improves weight distribution and stability. Gus Grand, Climate Change Lead at the Eden Project, said: 鈥淲e鈥檙e very pleased to be working with Land Rover on this exciting project.
Consumers usually don鈥檛 associate the word 鈥渁ffordable鈥?with a luxury crossover, let alone one that has some serious off-road chops. But a few actually exist, including the Land Rover LR2. The 2014 Land Rover LR2 could satisfy certain luxury crossover buyers without requiring them to break the bank. Even so, the LR2 isn鈥檛 perfect either. Perhaps the best thing about the entry-level Land Rover LR2 is that buyers get several of the ritzy features found inside the more expensive Range Rovers. Standard equipment includes leather upholstery, power front seats, dual pane panoramic sunroof, and a 380-watt Meridian sound system. Off-road goodies from the Range Rover lineup also include the Terrain Response system, which optimizes traction-affecting vehicle components for all types of conditions. The LR2 also relies on the Haldex all-wheel-drive system to get it through the stickiest of situations without any fuss or unpredictable behavior. We even found it does well on twisty back roads.
Standing still, the Devon GTX tells a story of power, handling and beauty. Its classical, yet futuristic design promises an incredible experience. Once under power, the GTX lives up to its promise every heart-pounding second youre behind the wheel. The design was led by Devon and noted automotive designer Daniel Paulin. Their approach to the vehicle was to boldly blend power, tactility and aesthetics into one singular form. The vehicles aircraft-quality carbon fiber body sits atop large lattice-structure center-lock wheels. The interior design reflects the companys progressive design philosophy and features carbon-fiber-reinforced racing seats, dual-grained leather surfacing throughout the cockpit and tasteful chrome appointments. Refinement, quality and uniqueness are conveyed in the cars up and forward articulating doors, distinctive body two-tone wheel surrounds, minimal front/rear overhangs, and dual center rear exit chrome exhaust ports. Beneath the skin of the Devon GTX is an 8.4-liter (510 cubic inches) V-10 engine that produces 650 horsepower (484.7 kW) at 6100 rpm.
