We've driven the LRX concept, but these are the first spy photos of the production 2012 Land Rover LRX that will debut this fall at the Paris auto show. Last week the LRX made headlines when the British magazine Autocar reported that this smallest of Land Rover SUVs will be offered in a front-wheel-drive version.
It's tough to make out the drive configuration in these shots, but this is likely the four-wheel-drive model that will evidently be first to market. The latest report suggests LRX sales will begin in the third quarter of 2011.
Whether front-drive or 4WD, though, the 2012 Land Rover LRX will not be one of Land Rover's traditional-style rugged SUVs. Instead, it will pick up where the LR2 leaves off and emphasize both style and fuel economy -- you know, a Land Rover for the city.
The concept LRX had a diesel-electric powertrain. Don't look for the production crossover to offer that, certainly not at launch, but do expect it to come in fuel-efficient conventional gasoline and gas-electric hybrid variations. Oh, and of course, there will be a diesel engine that will be the volume seller in Europe.
Don't expect the Land Rover LRX to offer a hard-core 4WD system. The concept had a light-duty setup with an electric motor driving the rear axle (in lieu of a combustion engine complete with center diff and driveshaft), and that's the arrangement that would likely be used on any hybrid version of the production LRX. Land Rover might go with a more conventional, single-speed all-wheel-drive system on the gasoline and diesel versions, but even then, the LRX probably won't be up for anything more treacherous than snow flurries.
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