New SUV to slide in between the Evoque and Range Rover Sport?

The Evoque gave rise to a new design language for Range Rover’s model line-up. The luxury SUV currently enjoys its popularity and recently entered local production in India. The Evoque sits below the Range Rover Sport in the brand's hierarchy and if a recent report is to be believed, the gap between the two SUVs will be filled in by a new model.

The SUV in question is expected to be based on a modified Evoque platform and is said to be under consideration for buyers who want something larger than the Evoque, but not something as big as the Range Rover Sport. Land Rover design director and chief creative officer - Gerry McGovern, had stated that the brand is looking to develop more “white space” vehicles i.e. SUVs to fill in the gaps that exist in the model range.

The gap between the Range Rover Sport and Evoque in the UK for example, is large enough for a new model, given how the latter's starting price is around half that of the RR Sport (£61,950 vs £30,200 i.e. a gap of £31,750 or approximately INR 30 Lakh). The gap in the Indian market is even larger, since the locally assembled Evoque is priced at nearly Rs. 49 Lakh while the fully imported Range Rover Sport costs around Rs. 1.16 Crore.

The new SUV is expected to be revealed no earlier than 2018. The arrival of the new model will play a vital role in making JLR’s model line up more versatile and thereby help the British automaker offer a wider range for customers to choose from.

Source: Motoring