Tata Motors continues its investments in the United Kingdom with the announcement of the 2013 Land Rover. The new fourth generation Rover’s all-aluminum unibody structure is set to be manufactured in Solihull, England.
Weighing at 926 pounds less than its 2012 predecessor, the most significant change to the iconic sports utility vehicle can be found in the aluminum architecture of the front and rear chassis. Redesigned air-based suspension coupled with windows and doors treated with acoustic lamination offers a smoother, quieter ride according to Land Rover.
The 2013 model comes with a new enhanced all-terrain performance optimizer called “Terrain Response 2”. Land Rover was unable to get too specific about the engine in an interview with The New York Times, other than to say it will be a V8 with an 8-speed ZF automatic transmission. The 2012 Land Rover features a naturally aspirated, 5 liter V8 capable of 375 hp.
In a press release, Design Director and Chief Creative Officer Gerry McGovern articulated the apprehension inherent in changing such a recognizable design.
“Designing the next generation Range Rover, following over forty years of success, came with a huge responsibility to protect the DNA of such an icon,” he said. “Our design team worked incredibly hard to capture the elegant proportions and pure surfaces which have been a feature of the best Range Rover designs.”
Now if they’d just release the details on the engine…
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- The 2013 Land Rover.
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- The redesigned 2013 Land Rover.
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- Land Rover’s famous wood-paneled dash.
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