LONDON: Towards the end of last year, Land Rover’s chief designer told the UK’s Auto Express magazine that a coupe version of its Range Rover SUV was in the pipeline. It now appears the new model could be closer than many had expected as spy shots are starting to appear all over the Internet that appear to show a two-door version of the Range Rover undergoing winter testing.
The British luxury automaker has already dipped its toe into the sportier side of the SUV market with the rakish Velar it launched just last year, but that model still falls short of being truly sporty as there are still rear doors very much in evidence.
When it does eventually come to market, the new addition to the Range Rover portfolio will be a major rival to the likes of the Bentley Continental GT and Rolls-Royce Wraith. And there’s no doubt about the vehicle being very much under development after its existence was revealed during an exclusive round-table discussion Auto Express had with McGovern at the Los Angeles Motor Show last November.
Although the vehicle seen undergoing road tests was heavily camouflaged and even looked to have a seam where the rear doors would be, the front doors were so elongated it appears the seam at the back is either an attempt at subterfuge or the vehicle is an early test mule based on the current Range Rover.
It’s believed the two-door Range Rover will eventually assume a spot at the very top of the manufacturer’s lineup, potentially even above the SVAutobiography. Jaguar Land Rover’s Special Vehicle Operations team is likely to take responsibility on the ultra-luxurious, low-production models, and the eventual asking price could easily be as much as £200,000 (RM1.09mil) at current exchange rates.
As for when we’re likely to see new Range Rover flagship model, it’s believed it could be making its world debut at the Geneva Motor Show in the spring, and then it could even be on sale before the end of this year.
Keyword: Range Rover coupe seen testing