Land Rover: The History of the Brand. Land Rover history Range rover phones who are the manufacturer

British automobile company Land rover gained worldwide fame thanks to the release of compact and reliable SUVs. Our compatriots especially loved these cars. The Land Rover Freelander 2 model is very popular in the Russian Federation. The second generation "Briton" first rolled off the assembly line in 2006, and four years later the car underwent restyling. Our compatriots are interested in where Land Rover Freelander 2 is assembled for domestic market... It is known that the home of the Land Rover brand is the UK. The head office of the firm is located in Solihull (England). The company produces SUVs with high traffic Luxury class. Enterprises for the production of this car model are also located in China and India (the city of Pune). The car is delivered to the Russian market from here. Today the company is owned by the Indian concern Tata Motors. And so, the Land Rover Freelander 2 SUV is assembled today in three countries of the world:

• United Kingdom (Halwood)
• India (Pune)
• China.

In Russia, the attitude to this car model is different. Some owners like the car, others blame the SUV's unreliability.

Exterior and interior

This car model is sold all over the world. The first SUV was released back in 1997. The very first cars had five doors, and after a while they began to produce a three-door version. British off-road vehicle Land Rover Freelander of the second generation saw the world in 2006. In 2010, he underwent a restyling, thanks to which the car changed a little.

Where Land is Produced Rover freelander 2, took into account the wishes of buyers and made the car even better. Dimensions of the "Briton" 2014-2015 are: 4500 mm × 2195 mm × 1740 mm. Wheelbase dimensions - 2660 mm, and ground clearance vehicle is - 210 millimeters. This five-door SUV is designed to carry five passengers. Trunk volume is 755 liters, and if the rear seats are folded down - 1670 liters.

Outwardly, the car has not changed much, the SUV engine has endured much more. After restyling, the car looks stylish and voluminous. A new radiator grille with chrome elements was installed on the SUV, and the front bumper turned out to be more solid and modern. The headlights of the car have LED rings. Also, the manufacturer changed the front fenders of the car, which are the mounts for the wheel arches. Depending on the configuration, the SUV can be equipped with 16-inch or 17-inch rims. And as an additional option Russian buyers can buy Land Rover Freelander 2 with 18- or 19-inch wheels. The rear of the car was practically unaffected by the engineers, but LEDs were installed inside the trunk. Where Land Rover Freelander 2 is produced, they prepared a car for operation in a variety of climatic conditions.

There are a lot more updates inside the cabin than outside. Engineers installed a new instrument panel and a five-inch touchscreen display in the middle. The location of the tachometer and speedometer has changed, and the center console has also become better. The manufacturer has selected high-quality materials for the interior trim, besides, the buyer will be able to choose any color option. A 7-inch sensor is installed on the dashboard, thanks to which the driver will be able to control a multifunctional system, an audio system, a navigator, and survey cameras. The most expensive British SUV package includes a subwoofer. A more modest 6-column system is available in the basic version. Instead of hand brake there is an electric drive. The updated "Briton" now has keyless access. All car seats have high-quality upholstery and all the necessary functions (adjustment, heating). There is enough space inside the SUV for everyone, it is very spacious here.

Specifications

Now about the main thing, the internal "filling" of the machine. Let's start with the fact that the car's suspension remains the same. But Freelander 2 received several new systems:

• Hill Descent Control.

The fact where the Land Rover Freelander 2 is assembled played an important role in the creation of the model. The manufacturer corrected the flaws of its predecessor and presented the world with an improved SUV, more reliable and safer. A "Briton" is supplied to the Russian market with two gasoline and two diesel power plants:

• two-liter diesel engine (240 hp, steam with a six-speed automatic transmission);
• petrol 3.2-liter (233 hp working with a six-speed automatic transmission gears, maximum speed - 200 km, fuel consumption - 15.5 liters);
• diesel 2.2-liter (190 hp fuel consumption - 9.6 liters in mixed mode, and in the city - 13.5 liters);
• 2.2-liter (150 hp in the combined cycle consumes only 6.5 to 7 liters of fuel, works in tandem with a six-speed automatic transmission).

The configurations for this SUV are as follows:

• SE (RUB 1,842,000)
• XS (1,574,000 rubles)
• HSE (2,080,000 rubles)
• S (1,363,000 rubles).

The most expensive "Briton" is Land Rover Freelander 2 HSE. The interior of this car is trimmed with quality leather or Alcantara. The machine is packed with the most modern features and options. For 2,080,000 rubles, the buyer will receive a vehicle with:

• air conditioner
• electrically
• heated front seats
• parktronic
• foglights
• powerful audio system with 8 speakers
• CD changer.

Since the release of the first Range rover in 1970, this car was continuously improved. The most luxurious SUV is characterized by excellence, unrivaled performance and impressive design, which, when combined with technological features, make it stand out from the competition. We want to freshen up the history of luxury SUVs known as the Range Rover family.

1969 - Range Rover Velar prototype

To keep the prototype of the first-ever Range Rover a secret, the designers and engineers who worked on this revolutionary car called it ‘Velar’, from the Italian ‘velare’ - “shroud” or “veil”. The first 26 prototypes even had a badge with the same logo to hide the brand.

1970 - First production 3-door Range Rover

After the successful testing of the Velar Concept, the first Range Rover is brought to the world. With a rare combination of unrivaled performance and elegant design, it has been warmly received by the public. This first car with permanent all-wheel drive also featured a double-leaf door. luggage compartment, sculpted bonnet and continuous centerline.

1981 - Range Rover 4-door

Eleven years later, the Range Rover Classic, a four-door version, was introduced to the market, allowing fans of the brand to even more fully appreciate the benefits of the car.

1994 - second generation Range Rover

The second generation cars were even more luxurious than their predecessors. Unique design features such as a distinctive silhouette and rectangular headlights instead of round ones have stood the test of time and remain an integral part of our vehicles to this day.

2001 - third generation Range Rover

Even more sophisticated, this Range Rover is the first ever to have a monocoque body. The exterior designers were inspired by the stretched, high-speed Italian Riva, while the metallic interior trim was inspired by the pulleys of a luxury yacht.

2004 - Range Stormer Concept

The Stormer Concept is renowned for redefining Range Rover's design and approach to bringing innovative technology to the vehicle.

2005 - Range Rover Sport production

The launch of the first sport utility vehicle in the Range Rover family reflected Land Rover's commitment to improving vehicle performance. Among available engines a 4.2-liter was introduced gasoline unit with a supercharger, characterized by high performance. Range Rover sport was also equipped with a cross-linked air suspension that allowed height adjustment and guaranteed optimum ride comfort all-wheel drive both on the road and off-road. Height adjustment is one of the many functions that reflect the dynamic performance in appearance car.

2008 - LRX Concept

This cross-coupe concept was an ambitious and progressive decision by the Land Rover design team. Aimed at seldom off-road drivers, this concept still retains legendary capabilities. Car Land Rover, and journalists immediately called its interior "futuristic".

2011 - Range Rover Evoque production

"Car of the Year" according to numerous retailers, the Range Rover Evoque rocked the public by appearing at the 2010 Paris Motor Show. Many of the features presented in the LRX Concept complement the luxurious cross-coupe. For example, it inherits a fresh interpretation of the classic Range Rover design.

2012 - fourth generation Range Rover

Range rover fourth generation for the first time received an all-aluminum body and stood out with an elongated wheelbase and a descending roof. The vehicle was also equipped with Land Rover's advanced Terrain Response ®. This integrated Driving Assist technology automatically adjusts settings according to road conditions.

2013 - Range Rover Hybrid

The first hybrid in the Range Rover lineup not only provided an increase fuel efficiency and reduced emissions, but not inferior to its predecessors in terms of performance. To prove it, the car set off on a long journey from Solihull to Mumbai, covering 16,000 km, ruthless off-road and the Himalayas.

Left The first Range Rover Hybrid delivers reduced emissions without sacrificing performance Right The luxurious features common to all Range Rovers are retained in the Hybrid

2013 - second generation Range Rover Sport

Several streets of New York were blocked off to unveil the refreshed Range Rover Sport, powered by an efficient 3.0-liter V6 engine, and Daniel Craig, best known for his role as Agent 007, was honored to present the new product.

2015 - Range Rover Sport SVR launched

The Range Rover Sport SVR, a high-performance SUV that delivers optimal power, is the first vehicle built by the Special Vehicle Operations team. The fastest Land Rover delivers the ultimate driving experience. Power is reflected in the exterior, with features such as twin tailpipes and a unique rear spoiler.

2015 - Range Rover SVAutobiography

The ultimate in luxury and excellence, the Range Rover SVAutobiography redefines Range Rover vehicles. The attention to detail, highlighted by Brushed Aluminum trim finishers, and the exclusive seats are impossible to miss. The unique choice of exterior colors ensures that every customer gets the expectedly unique and luxurious Range Rover. SVAutobiography Dynamic was introduced soon after. The sleek design, powerful V8 engine and attractive steel reflected its power and agility.

British automobile company Land Rover, which specializes in the production of premium vehicles off-road, was born in 1948. The Wilkes brothers became the founders of the enterprise. Maurice Wilkes was chief designer at the time, and Spencer Wilkes was the chief executive officer of the British automaker Rover. As conceived by the leading managers, the Land Rover project was supposed to help Rover survive the difficult times that befell the company. But over time, the company took its own confident niche in the global automotive market.

Since 2008, Land Rover has been owned by the Tata Group, which owns the Indian car manufacturer Tata Motors.
The first Land Rover car was based on the American military Willys jeep. In post-war Great Britain there was a difficult situation with metal, but aluminum was abundant, as well as spare parts for aircraft. The Wilkes brothers were able to get government approval from the Meteor Works plant and approval for a simple four-wheel drive vehicle with an aluminum body.

Even before the official registration date of Land Rover in 1947, a pre-production sample of a new car with the name Center Steer was ready. The car had a ladder frame, an engine and transmission from a passenger Rover, a body painted green with paint from military aircraft. Having made 25 prototypes of the new car and renamed the novelty Land Rover, the creators presented their SUV at the Amsterdam Motor Show. Where is the car, as the history of the Land Rover company notes, enjoyed great interest among specialists and ordinary motorists.

In the first year of production (1948), the number of Land Rover SUVs produced was equal to all Rover passenger sedans that came off the assembly line. And in 1949, it sold twice as many jeeps as in the previous year.
In 1950, the first-born Land Rover underwent modernization. The all-wheel drive system was improved (the driver could use a lever to choose between all-wheel drive and rear wheel drive), the working volume of the engine increased, versions with wheelbases of different lengths appeared.

In 1957, a 2-liter diesel engine was installed on the Land Rover, and a year later a 2.3-liter gasoline unit appeared.
In 1959, the production of SUVs exceeded 250 thousand copies, the car was appreciated by firefighters and rescuers, military and civilian services.
In 1965, the half-millionth Land Rover car was released, the range of motors installed on cars expanded with six-cylinder engines.

In 1968, the British SUV got a V8, new system all-wheel drive and disc brakes... Land Rover Company became part of British Leyland Motor Corporation.
In 1970, a significant event took place in the history of the company - the debut of a new Range Rover model. A car with a stunning design (it was exhibited in the Louvre next to the painting by Leonardo da Vinci "La Gioconda", as an example of modern art) and a comfortable interior. Off-road qualities of the novelty were not inferior to the traditional Land Rover.

During the 70-80s of the 20th century, Land Rover and Range Rover are constantly undergoing improvements and improvements, the company's cars take part in the Paris-Dakar rally and a specially created extreme competition for Land Rover and Range Rover off-road vehicles - Camel Trophy (1980-2000) ...

In 1989, the third model appeared - Land Rover discovery.
1990 - The classic Land Rover is renamed Defender.
In 1993, the British company came under the control of the German BMW.
1994, the second generation of Range Rover appears, the premium SUV becomes more luxurious and more expensive.

In 1997, another new Land Rover was created, the first model of the company with a monocoque body - the Land Rover Freelander. This vehicle opens the era of crossovers. Land Rover Defender 90 with eight passengers was able to climb the highest mountain in Europe - Elbrus (5642 meters), thereby proving its extraordinary off-road capabilities.
In 1998 Land Rover Defender undergoes significant modernization and renewal, the start of sales of the 2nd generation Land Rover Discovery.
In 2000, Land Rover became the property of the Ford Motor Company. By the way, the same fate befell Lincoln, Volvo, Aston Martin and Jaguar.

In 2001, the 3 millionth Land Rover SUV rolled off the assembly line, Land Rover Discovery 2 was recognized as the best car with 4x4 all-wheel drive according to Auto Express magazine, and the premiere of the new 3rd generation Range Rover took place.
2003 - Rover Freelander restyled.
Land Rover Discovery3 premiered at the 2004 New York Auto Show.
In 2005, after modernization and restyling, a second version of the SUV with a shortened body appeared - the Range Rover Sport.
Year 2007 - start of sales of Freelander 3.
In 2009, the fourth appeared generation Rover Discovery.
In 2011, the lineup was replenished with the compact luxury crossover Range Rover Evoque.

Currently, Land Rover and Range Rover SUVs are represented in Russia and the CIS countries by all manufactured models: Defender 90, Defender 110, Freelander 2, Discovery4, Evoque, Range Rover and Sport Range Rover.
Land Rover and Range Rover SUVs are manufactured at Solihull and Halwood UK factories. The third Freelander besides the UK is produced in Aqaba (Jordan) and Pune (India).

The SUV that we love.

Each car manufacturer has its own preferences, its own principles that the company follows when developing the next model. Sleek design, indestructible engine power, elegance or the desire to take another record bar in acceleration from 0 to 100 km / h.

English company Land rover the main direction in production was determined in the middle of the last century.

The world needs cars that can tackle even the most difficult roads. SUVs are what the consumer is ready for.
Maurice Wilkes, Range Rover founder.

So in 1948 the Land Rover trademark was registered and the company began its long and eventful journey towards building an automotive "all-passable future".

Land Rover history

The middle of the 40s was a difficult post-war time for all branches of production. Resources were sorely lacking, the economy of England was in decline, and the release of ultra-fast high-speed cars, which the company specialized in Rover before the start of the war, there was no question. The time has come for completely different cars, cars with clearly defined tasks: endurance, readiness for tough operation and cross-country ability.

At the time, Maurice Wilkes was chief designer at Rover, while his brother served as CEO of the same company. In short, the guys were well versed in cars. Among the main favorites of the Wilkes was american SUV Willys.

This car model was used exclusively for military purposes and was a joint development Willys-Overland Motors and Ford... The light reconnaissance vehicle met the most stringent standards, and its production was directly controlled by the US government. In 1945, the production of an SUV was suspended, and the enterprising brothers had an idea that would very soon turn into one of the most successful cars of the post-war era.

The British government relied on the automotive industry and the newly minted Land Rover could not disappoint.

The shortage of metal for production ended in 1947. The military industry slowed down, and a year later the first-born Land Rover company, the first SUV of the concern, flaunted at the car exhibition in Amsterdam.

The transmission and engine were borrowed from a Rover passenger car, the body was made of a lightweight aluminum alloy, resistant to corrosion and inexpensive to manufacture. For the manufacture of the chassis, they chose steel scrap, abandoning pressing. This gives Land Rover a reliable and durable load-bearing support. The exterior still sounded like the echoes of war - green paint, angular shapes.

And although the Wilkes brothers positioned new model as an "intermediate class for farmers", the crazy demand for Land Rover has forced the company to rethink its plans to release its first SUV. By 1949, the Land Rover SUV was outselling the established Rover sedan.

The 1.5 liter 48 horsepower engine and all-wheel drive with a top speed of up to 75 km / h is the first Land Rover to go on sale in 68 countries in just a few months. And most importantly, what attracted buyers in the first place - four-wheel drive.

The first SUV opened up new opportunities for the company. The car could boast of excellent sales, and the Land Rover concern could direct the proceeds to new developments. In 1950, a new Land Rover model was released with a modified drive system: now the driver could independently decide whether to continue the journey in front, rear or all-wheel drive. A number of options with different wheelbase lengths appeared, and the body began to acquire new outlines.

Seven years later, in 1957, Land Rover began installing diesel units and completely abandoned the "soft body", replacing the canvas parts with aluminum ones. It was in this year that Land Rover was designed and became a true classic of the era. It's a model today Land rover defender.

Gradually from a "car for farmers" Land Rover turns into a symbiosis of a car with excellent cross-country ability and comfort at the sedan level. Inspired by the market launch of the seven-seater Station wagon with " full minced meat”, Land Rover engineers begin experimenting with interior furnishings.

The vector was chosen correctly. Interior heater, soft upholstery of doors, leather interior - all these are the nuances that distinguished the premium car of that time from just a car “for everyone”. The first model comes out in 1970 Range rover which will enter the American market under the project Project eagle.

A Buick V8 gasoline engine, acceleration from 0-100 km / h in 11.9 seconds, top speed of 160 km / h - these characteristics have become a new standard in the world of cars. It became the main exhibit at the Louvre and received the title of "reference sample of industrial design."

Range Rover opens a new page in history for Land Rover. Ahead of 45 years of amazing experimentation, development and improvement, three global generations of SUVs and dozens of prestigious awards.

Family SUV enters the market in 1989 Discovery... A more affordable modification of the Range Rover received a simplified body.

In nine years, the SUV will receive a second wind and its reincarnation will be embodied in Range Rover Discovery Series II: 5-cylinder diesel with patented injection system.

In 1993, the 1.5 millionth Land Rover car rolled off the assembly line of the concern, and the Bavarian automaker BMW AG was taken to further design the new generation of the SUV.

In 1997, a compact version of the SUV was introduced Land rover freelander... This is the smallest car in the company's lineup, which is often called a "souvenir SUV"

In just five years of existence, the Freelander becomes the best-selling four-wheel drive vehicle in Europe.

The rapid development and impressive demand for Land Rover SUV models is generating more and more new models.

Throughout the evolution of SUVs, Land Rover has patented a series of technologies that have made driving on problem roads a pleasure:

• HDC downhill driving system;
• independent air suspension of all wheels with electronic control (when installing a monocoque body and a transverse engine);
• Range Rover is the first all-aluminum SUV;
• the first electronic traction control system.

And where there are high-tech patents, there are worthy victories. The element of an SUV is expeditions to difficult terrain, crazy long races and points at which a classic sedan would have a heart attack. Military experience has come to the advantage, and Land Rover's piggy bank has been replenished with new trophies:

• In 1972, the Range Rover becomes the first car to successfully complete the 29,000-kilometer Trans-American range.
• In 1974 Range Rover crossed the Sahara Desert. The length of the route, which took 100 days, was 12,000 km.
• In 1977, the SUV easily completed the 30,175 km race in the London-Sydney race.
• 1979 and 1981 were the year of records for Range Rover, with 27 speed records on a diesel Range Rover and two victories in one of the toughest races of the Paris-Dakar rally in 79 and 81.
• The updated and revised model of Range Rover hybrids successfully crossed the Great Silk Road from Great Britain to India. The length of this bumpy route is 16,000 kilometers.

At the heart of all Range Rover SUVs is the ability to combine technological power and reliability with premium trim and upscale interiors.

The assortment of Land Rover vehicles is represented by an impressive model line, which covers almost all tastes and preferences of a modern driver, for whom reliability is a priority quality.

In 2005 the flagship conquered the market Range rover sport, who received the title " best car for the entire history of the company ”. In 2011, sales of the crossover began Range rover evoque and the concern once again managed to combine the incompatible, presenting a city car with the character of an SUV.

Over the 45-year history of Range Rover models, the manufacturer has managed to turn "just an SUV" into a premium car. Go to long trip through difficult terrain and at the same time feeling in the cradle of comfort - this is the main task of Land Rover, which the company successfully copes with.

The car owes its appearance to two engineers of the British company Rover, the Wilkes brothers, a classic military Jeep Willys and the post-war situation in England. Although, as you know, the country escaped a direct enemy invasion, many years of air raids, bombing by V-1 projectiles and V-2 ballistic missiles, the work of industry and agriculture turned the island into a state with a pretty deformed economy. England desperately needed the export of its products. But what could it offer a destroyed Europe?

The Rover Group, founded back in 1884 and creating, among other things, the bicycle in its modern form, moved from the bombed Coventry to Solihull, where it established the production of pre-war car models. However, both the British themselves and their neighbors on the continent needed something else that would meet the simplicity of design and maintenance, and most importantly, the versatility of the realities of those harsh times.

Spencer and Maurice Wilkes opted for an extremely simple and passable car based on the Jeep Willys, but in a civilian version. Fortunately, they knew for certain that they were not planning anything like this in their native Rover. Than killed two birds with one stone. First, by replacing steel with "flying metal", we achieved a significant lightening of the machine. And secondly, they found a worthy replacement for the then scarce steel sheet by purchasing duralumin, which was full from the aircraft industry, which had sharply declined after the war. She also adopted the connection of body parts with rivets. As for the other units, engine, transmission, they were taken from both the faithful Jeep Willys and the then Rover models.

An interesting detail. The brothers, apparently so confident that foreign customers, including those from neighboring left-hand drive Europe, will buy the car, have placed the driver's seat of their car not on the right, in English, or on the left, in European, but in the middle. In order not to bother with rearranging the chair on special export copies.

The prototype, while unnamed, was ready six months later. And it got its name during the full testing of the machine. It was invented by Maurice, combining the name of the company in which he served, and the purpose of the novelty, it turned out to be Land Rover, something like a "rural Rover".

At the end of April 1948, the car was presented at a show in Amsterdam. A resounding success. Until the end of the year, the brothers are building a trial batch of forty-eight cars with engines, gearboxes and retrofitted axles from Rover passenger cars and sell them for 450 pounds each. Just three months after the start of serial production, the SUV was sold to 68 countries of the world. You can imagine this: out of 48 pre-production cars produced in late 1947 - early 1948, eighteen are in good health to this day!

A car with a 48-horsepower, and a little later, a 50-horsepower engine, weighing 1.2 tons, with brick aerodynamics developed a maximum speed of 75 kilometers per hour. With almost complete absence of what is called comfort. Open, at best with a soft top-awning, no doors, bouncing on bumps and extremely noisy. But demanded by farmers, artisans, hunters and just people who happened to live in an area with bad roads.

The Land Rover name has long been associated with four-wheel drive vehicles. Despite continuous improvement and development, the entire history behind Land Rover's unique vehicles clearly demonstrates the consistency of the core idea of ​​a combination of unchanging goals and values ​​and a strictly focused approach to development.

Already at the end of the 50s. the 250,000th Land Rover rolls off the Solihull plant.

In the 1960s, the demand for four-wheel drive vehicles and Land Rover is at the forefront of an emerging market segment. Trying to find The best decision the challenge, Rover engineers sat down to develop a vehicle that would combine comfort and driving performance family car with the off-road capabilities of Land Rover.

The result of their work was the Range Rover, launched in 1970. and instantly aroused general stormy admiration. The famous design of this model achieved a unique level of recognition when it was exhibited at the Paris Louvre. In addition to the unique comfort, the car possessed outstanding off-road qualities.

Throughout the 1970s and 80s, Land Rover and Range Rover continued to evolve and recognition for Land Rover vehicles grew with events such as the Paris-Dakar Rally, which demonstrated the brand's outstanding resilience. Since 1990 The car, which millions of people recognized at first sight as a classic Land Rover SUV, has been renamed Defender. The famous Defender, a long-wheelbase Land Rover model, conceived as a versatile reliable car of the post-war period, has been produced almost unchanged for 50 years and its appearance resembles the same post-war model. The model is still considered the best all-wheel drive SUV.

In the late 80s, Land Rover amazes the world with another premiere. The Discovery was first shown at the 1989 Frankfurt Motor Show, marking the creation of a new niche - the comfortable 4x4 family car with excellent off-road performance. Deprived of the Spartan utility of its predecessor, it fell in love with various categories of consumers. In Europe, the most budgetary version goes on sale - with a 2-liter gasoline engine.

By the mid-90s, the famous Range Rover is still out of competition and is the universally recognized benchmark for the luxury all-terrain vehicle. In 1994, the new owner of the company, the BMW concern, carried out a radical renovation. The car was offered with three types of engine - V-shaped 8-cylinder with a displacement of 4.0 or 4.6 liters, as well as a turbocharged diesel bmw volume of 2.5 liters. By the late 90s, Range Rover is getting improved fuel injection from BOSCH, an improved interior and new optics.

In 1997. Introduced the Freelander, a more compact sports and leisure vehicle that has taken the lead in Europe in terms of sales in the 4 × 4 class. Freelander becomes the ancestor of the now popular SUV platform from BMW. This is the first Land Rover model with a monocoque body, independent all-wheel suspension and a transverse engine arrangement. Equipped with 4-cylinder petrol and diesel engines working volume 1.8-2.0 liters. In 2003, the model underwent significant changes in appearance, and received new optics, bumpers and interior trim. There was such a joke: the Land Rover company, in addition to SUVs, produces souvenirs - badges, T-shirts, baseball caps and Freelander. Although the smallest Landy was looked down upon and scolded for not having a downshift, sales rose to 70,000 a year in 1998. And for five years in a row - until 2002 - Friel remained the most popular four-wheel drive in Europe. The car lasted almost 10 years on the assembly line. The car lasted almost 10 years on the assembly line. The larger Freelander 2 on the EUCD platform shared with the Volvo XC60 was shown in 2006 in London.

Since 1998, the updated Discovery Series II has been produced. The car received an improved chassis, a unique 5-cylinder diesel engine, with a revolutionary (at that time) system direct injection pump injectors. The problem of corrosion resistance of the body was also solved. In 2003, Discovery II undergoes a face-lift and acquires the modern "brand" features that make it akin to the new Range Rover family.

And since the end of 2002 years Land Rover launches a new flagship, the New Range Rover, which carries the stylistic heritage of its predecessors, but is technically different from them in a revolutionary way. Rejection of the frame, dependent suspension and the already archaic lower shaft V8 model of the 50s makes the New Range Rover the leader in the range of modern luxury SUVs.

In the spring of 2004, Land Rover introduced a completely new model, the Discovery 3. While the New Range Rover had similarities with its predecessors, in the case of Discovery 3, the current brand owner, Ford, decided to create a car from scratch. The all-new third generation of the Range-style Disco now features independent suspension. The frame integrated into the body allows the center of mass to be lowered. Off-road assistance to the driver electronic assistant Terrain Responce, sharpened for various types of coverage.

Then, in 2005, a new favorite among Land Rover SUVs emerged - the Range Rover Sport, with impeccable dynamics and handling characteristics. The company needed a car lighter and faster than the Range, able to race on an equal footing with the Tuareg, Cayenne and BMW X5. It is 8.5 cm shorter and 17.5 cm shorter than the regular Range, but the five-liter V8 compressor engine propels the car to a hundred in less than six seconds. According to motorists, it is the most successful decision of the developers of the Land Rover company in its entire history. At least until the latest model, the Range Rover Evoque, a new 2010 offering that combines superior driving performance. sports car with a truly magnificent design performance.

Since the 60s of the last century, Land Rover has changed a lot and often from hand to hand: British Leyland (1968-1998), British Aerospace (1988-1994), BMW (1994-2000), Ford (2000-2008). And finally, the Indian TATA, which bought the British SUV maker complete with Jaguar. Indians paid $ 2.3 billion, but minus $ 600 million for Jaguar and Land Rover's retirement plans, the Blue Oval received $ 1.7 billion. In addition, Ford has pledged to help engines, platforms, other components and technologies - during the transition period, Ford has pledged to fund Jaguar and Land Rover dealers around the world.

It is safe to say that Land Rover has gone from a simple and utilitarian product of the 1948 model to an automobile legend. Very few competitors can boast the same level of recognition and respect that Land Rover vehicles generate. However, the main confirmation of Land Rover's values ​​is the cars themselves: it sounds incredible, but two-thirds of all Land Rover vehicles ever produced are still in service!

Mr. Ratan Tata, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Tata Sons and Tata Motors, has promised that both companies will keep their unique distinctive features... However, SUVs will consume less fuel thanks to the widespread use of aluminum and the introduction of hybrid technologies... In addition, the Land Rovers are working to replace the legendary Defender with a more modern SUV, codenamed Project Icon. What will come of all this, time will tell. Although the Land Rover company did not lose face even with bad owners.

Land Rover is currently the only company that exclusively manufactures vehicles with permanent drive 4 × 4. This sheer dedication to the idea is perhaps the main reason why Land Rover's values ​​- freedom, adventure, fortitude and above all, being true to oneself - are so vividly manifested in all of the company's vehicles.