Chismillionaire Detroit Auto Show Report- Land Rover LRX Concept

What's special about it?
Part eco-SUV, part upscale compact crossover coupe. Yes, this neatly describes the Land Rover LRX concept.

It's Gerry McGovern's first new concept since becoming Land Rover's latest design director. He calls the LRX different, relevant, engaging and exciting, among other things. "LRX has a highly desirable identity and the design alludes strongly to its capability, while clearly underlining our forward-looking philosophy — it's a Land Rover that would be comfortable on Bond Street or Fifth Avenue, but wouldn't flinch at getting its wheels dirty," explains McGovern.

So with that marketingspeak out of the way, we'll try to explain the idea of a compact crossover coupe. The LRX concept is physically smaller than the current LR2 (Land Rover has not provided any specifications), and like the LR2, the LRX is not designed for serious off-road excursions. It has full-time all-wheel drive and hill-descent control, but its 20-inch wheels and low-profile tires suggest that anything more than a flat dirt road might be a problem.

Its two-door configuration also limits the LRX's appeal as a practical SUV, but Land Rover doesn't see this as a problem. It says the LRX has been conceived as a premium vehicle that will appeal to the luxury and executive sector, where presence is more important that practicality. In other words, the LRX is for customers who want a smaller Land Rover that has all the style of the full-size Range Rover.