Rumorpile: Land Rover's Entry-Level Plan

Land Rover is planning an onslaught of new models. The company has already revealed the limited-run Range Rover SV Coupe and is expected to debut the next-generation Defender in the near future, which could include a pickup. There is talk about three new entry-level models joining the lineup.

Autocar reports that plans for these entry-level model came to light in 2014, but have been shelved and revived within the past few years due to concerns about making a profit. The concerns are still there, but Land Rover is reportedly moving forward with the plans as growth is continuing in the segment. Plans still need to be signed off by the top executives, however.

If approved, the first of this trio is expected to arrive in 2021. But it is unclear which model lineup - leisure, luxury, or utility it will appear in. 

• Leisure: Expected to sit below the Discovery Sport. Could wear the Freelander nameplate which was last used in 2014.
• Luxury: Expected to sit under the Evoque. The Range Rover family has been the one where Land Rover introduces the brand into a new segment.
• Utility: Entry-level model for the Defender family.

Out of the three, the leisure model has the greatest appeal as it would fill in "an obvious gap" in Land Rover's lineup. The compact Defender has some supporters with Land Rover's executives to be first as the company is wanting to build out a family of Defender variants.

Whether Land Rover decides to go with one or all three, the platform will be a re-engineered version of the D8 platform known as D10. D8 underpins a number of models including the Discovery Sport and Evoque.

Source: Autocar