Land Rover 7-seater to be called Ventura, hybrid LRX on the way

First of all we’d like to say that ‘zevenzitter’ means ‘seven-seater’ in Dutch. Just something we found amusing while trying to translate the Autotelegraaf article on Land Rover’s upcoming SUV onslaught. According to the Dutch publication Land Rover, now owned by Tata Motors has its work cut out for the next four years. Two models including the ‘zevenzitter’ we spoke of the other day along with a production three-door and five-door versions of the LRX concept will hit markets by 2012.

Autotelegraaf has learned that the seven-seater SUV from Land Rover will be called the Ventura. Known internally as ‘Project L486,’ the Ventura will share the platform, engine and transmission with the Freelander but will be shorter. The seven-seater will be more of a crossover model unlike the Discovery and will reportedly compete with the Mercedes-Benz GLK, BMW X3 and the Audi Q5.

The production LRX will be available in a three-door and five-door variant and will compete with the BMW X1, Audi Q1 and smaller Mercedes-Benz SUV in the works. According to AutoCar, the production LRX will arrive in 2011. A hybrid version is a vital part of the LRX and is expected to return outstanding fuel-economy and low CO2 emissions. The Land Rover LRX concept that debuted in Geneva was powered by a 2.0 liter turbodiesel hybrid capable of running on bio-diesel, with a potential fuel-economy of 60mpg.

Land Rover plans on building 70,000 units of the LRX annually. Further details on the Land Rover Ventura will be announced later this year.

Land Rover LRX Concept (Black and Silver):

Land Rover LRX Concept (Black and Silver) Land Rover LRX Concept (Black and Silver) Land Rover LRX Concept (Black and Silver) Land Rover LRX Concept (Black and Silver) Land Rover LRX Concept (Black and Silver) Land Rover LRX Concept (Black and Silver) Land Rover LRX Concept (Black and Silver) Land Rover LRX Concept (Black and Silver) Land Rover LRX Concept (Black and Silver) Land Rover LRX Concept (Black and Silver) Land Rover LRX Concept (Black and Silver)

Source: Autotelegraaf and AutoCar