Land Rover is poised to offer a road-biased luxobarge to rival the Mercedes-Benz S-Class by the end of the decade.
That’s according to Autocar which reports that Land Rover is developing the vehicle, code-named the Road Rover, in parallel with a next-generation Jaguar XJ.
The vehicle will reportedly come with an electric powertrain and offer dynamic performance never before seen in a Land Rover. However, it's also said to be coming with some off-road capability—most likely soft-road capability—to carve out its niche in the market.
The concept of a road-biased Land Rover isn’t new. The British automaker as early as the 1950s sought to offer a vehicle that bridged the gap between the original Land Rover and cars of the day, also under the Road Rover code name. The first prototype was a shooting brake-style vehicle code-named the SNX 36.
Land Rover SNX 36 'Road Rover' prototype from the 1950s
Over the next two decades Land Rover would refine the concept into what would eventually become the first Range Rover.
If a modern Road Rover proves successful, we could see the lineup expanded. The thinking is that they’ll help insulate Land Rover from any potential end in the current love affair buyers seem to have with SUVs.
Autocar reports that a reveal of the Road Rover could take place as early as the 2019 Los Angeles Auto Show.
The British publication also reports that Land Rover design boss Gerry McGovern is drawing up a potential Bentley Bentayga and Rolls-Royce Cullinan rival. The model would feature its own design and not simply be a derivative of the Range Rover.
