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DESIGN
- A fresh and premium exterior, designed to
reflect both on-road and off-road capabilities
- Long wheelbase and short overhangs help
deliver purposeful 4x4 proportions
- Dynamic stance, chiseled lines and smooth,
simple surfaces
- Distinctive Land Rover genes, including
clamshell bonnet and stepped roof
- Watch-like detailing in the wrap-around
headlamps and tail-lamps
"LR2 is a fresh and contemporary design,
with its chiseled lines, chunky good looks and
sporty energy."
- Geoff Upex, design director
Chiseled lines, smooth and simple surfaces and
interlocking elements were three of the key
principles that guided the Land Rover design team
as they crafted the all-new LR2. These combined
well with the vehicle’s proportions – especially
the height, long wheelbase, and short front and
rear overhangs – to create the purposeful, sporty
stance that the designers wanted.
 Upex and his team, including Earl Beckles (lead
exterior designer) and Martin Buffery (lead
interior designer), were also determined to
develop a vehicle with clear family links to Land
Rover’s successful LR3 and best-selling Range
Rover Sport. From the LR3, according to Geoff Upex,
“We took the simplicity of the surfacing, the
strong shapes, the bold and consistent graphics,
and the strong rear D-post styling. Range Rover
Sport inspired the flow of the wheel arches, a lot
of the stance, and the dynamics of the waistline.”
"The design of LR2 had to reflect its balance
of capabilities – as a great road car and a great
SUV," says Geoff Upex. "This was absolutely at the
top of our minds. It could not be too overt a 4x4,
in the way that LR3 is. It had to be tough – but
not too tough. It had to reassure people trading
up from premium cars. So this balance – tough SUV
versus premium car – was crucial in the design
language."
According to Upex, SUVs are typically more
geometric, more aggressive and harder-edged. Cars
tend to be more organic – and friendlier – in
form. So the LR2 mixes strong geometric shapes and
flowing, car-like softness.
The fast-angled windshield, the raised roof and
the tapering rear pillar all reflect the vehicle’s
dynamic, sporty on-road abilities, as does the
smooth shoulder line. Also contributing
significantly to the flow of the design are the
body-colored A- and C-pillars, while the black
D-pillars at the rear give a graphic which
resembles the ‘floating roof’ of Range Rover.
The body sides on LR2 are sharp and chiseled.
But in plain view, the surfaces are smooth, sheer
and one-directional. The surfacing is also taut
and very defined, to give the vehicle a lean,
muscled look.
The grille makes a strong and confident design
statement. The rear is clean, with one-piece
tail-lights and the external spare wheel
positioned underneath the cargo area floor.
"The whole design is simple, uncluttered,
premium and desirable. We wanted a minimal number
of components that interlock to form a meaningful
and attractive whole," says Geoff Upex. "The
headlights and tail-lights, for instance, are
watch-like in their detailing. The metallic
side-vents help engine breathing, but also provide
a strong family link with both LR3 and Range Rover
Sport."
As always with a Land Rover, functionality is a
fundamental driver of the design. The narrow front
A-posts help achieve excellent all-round
visibility. The hood castellations help the driver
place the vehicle more accurately on the road or
track. The wheel stance and wide track help
deliver agile handling and great grip. The short
front and rear overhangs and high underbody are
essential for go-anywhere off-road performance.
The body-side protection guards against stone
chips and helps keep the sills clean.
"We believe the end result is a design that is
sculptured and sophisticated, dynamic yet refined,
premium and tough," says Geoff Upex.
BODY STRUCTURE
"LR2’s body is almost twice as stiff as
some competitors’. This helps its on-road handling
and refinement, its off-road toughness, and its
all-round safety."
– Andrew Foster, chief program engineer
Excellent stiffness provides the necessary
basis for great ride and handling, because there
is little or no flex during hard cornering or on
rough roads. It also helps deliver excellent
vehicle refinement and safety.
LR2 uses a monocoque construction.
Ultra-high-strength steel is used more extensively
than in any previous Land Rover in the door beams
and for various strengthening reinforcements.
DP600 dual-phase steel – which requires special
pressing because of its strength – is used for the
A-posts, lower sills, cantrails, front side
members and dash to help provide a first class,
weight-efficient safety cell.
Many of the bolt-on components fitted during
final assembly also help improve structural
integrity. A fully integrated front-end structure
not only carries the cooling pack and front
bumpers, but also substantially boosts the overall
body stiffness. Even the hood-locking platform has
been designed to help boost structural integrity,
ensuring good load transfer from one front crash
rail to the other.
A double bulkhead in the engine bay improves
powertrain isolation and provides a clean area for
components such as the ABS modulator, brake servo
and wiper system.
SAFETY
The LR2’s long list of primary safety features
– including its responsive handling, strong brakes
and permanent all-wheel drive system – helps the
driver avoid hazards. The high ‘command view’
seating position provides visibility over traffic
and a clearer view on rain-lashed roads.
Secondary safety starts with the strong
monocoque body and its inner ‘safety cell’. Front
and rear crumple zones are designed to help absorb
as much energy as possible during an impact.
Side-impact protection is further assisted by the
Ultra-high-strength steel door beams, the strong
and deep door sills (bigger on an SUV than on a
conventional car) and the raised seat position.
Front safety belts have pre-tensioners, and all
LR2 models feature seven airbags. The driver and
passenger front airbags are designed to help
provide head and chest protection and the front
side airbags to protect against side impacts.
Full-length curtain airbags in the roof side
structure are designed to help protect against
head injury and roll-over ejection for front and
rear occupants. An inflatable knee bolster helps
protect the driver against leg injury from the
steering column.
Pedestrian safety is a high priority, with
2.76-3.54 in (70-90 mm) clearance between the
upper hood and under-hood mechanicals in the
critical zones. The excellent energy absorbing
qualities of the hood further assist pedestrian
protection.
EXTERIOR PROTECTION
LR2 uses 100 percent double-sided zinc-coated
steel panels, as part of the most sophisticated
anti-corrosion and paint treatment ever used on a
Land Rover.
As a true SUV, LR2 is designed to be able to
brush off knocks and scuffs. Vulnerable areas of
the car, including the sills and lower doors, are
coated in a tough thermoplastic cladding.
The cooling pack is protected by a strong
thermoplastic undertray, while a structural steel
undertray protects the engine. Bumpers are made
from high-pressure injection-molded
mineral-reinforced polypropylene. They have
excellent stability in very hot or cold
conditions, and good scratch and impact
resistance.
JEWEL-LIKE AND EFFECTIVE LIGHTS
The wrap-around headlights of LR2 are handsome
and rugged, and offer a choice of different
technologies.
The standard H7 halogen lamps have
impact-resistant polycarbonate lenses, and offer a
lifetime resistance to scratching (invaluable when
off-road use). They also give a light output
closer to natural daylight. The lens is bonded to
the light body to guarantee a watertight seal. The
headlight units have a Gore-Tex membrane, which
allows ventilation without letting in water, to
help avoid condensation when wading.
LR2 is also available with High Intensity
Discharge (HID) projector lamps, creating crisp
blue-white spectrum light. The bulbs are filled
with a mixture of noble gases (including xenon).
HID lights produce 200 percent more light than a
halogen bulb while consuming only half as much
electrical power. They also last about 10 times
longer. The HID system includes headlight
power-washers and automatic headlight leveling, to
help ensure the optimum light pattern irrespective
of vehicle load.
Optional Adaptive Front Lighting (AFS) is
designed around the xenon units. The lights swivel
with the direction of travel, to help the driver
see the road ahead.
Rear lamp units are chunky one-piece clusters,
incorporating tail-lights, brake lights,
indicators and reversing lights. As with the
headlights, the design is jewel-like, an
impression heightened by the high-gloss polymethyl
methacrylate lenses, which also offer excellent
scratch resistance.
LARGE GLASS AREAS
The generous areas of glass on LR2 offer
excellent all-around visibility. Front and side
windows are wide and deep. A standard two-part
panoramic sunroof increases the bright and airy
feel of LR2’s cabin. The front section lifts and
slides back over the second-row glass roof panel.
Large door mirrors further improve the field of
view. An electrically heated front windshield and
heated washer jets are available. Rain-sensing
wipers and automatic headlights, both of which
work via infra-red technology, are standard on all
models.
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