Going green off–road

The cabin of Land Rover's LRX reflects the off-roader's premium positioning.

Land Rover claims its new compact LRX demonstrates its "seriousness about continued relevance and sustainability". That's a posh way of saying that the Ford-owned maker doesn't plan to stick entirely to supersized, overweight off-road machines that give two fingers to environmental concerns.

"The LRX concept delivers the powerful message we are as serious about sustainability as we are confident about the continuing desirability of our vehicles," says Phil Popham, Land Rover's managing director.

"The LRX is in every respect a Land Rover, but it's a very different Land Rover. The LRX has unmistakable Land Rover design and the breadth of capability that you'd expect from our vehicles. But it carries those essentials into a segment where the brand has never been before, and with a proposed level of efficiency that would make it one of the cleanest vehicles in its class.

"It is Land Rover's way of affirming the brand's responsible approach to future product development."