Land Rover to Bring Diesel-Hybrid Range Rover to U.S., Report Says

There's nothing particuarly new about Land Rover's development of diesel-hybrid powertrains. The brand's first foray into the technology was revealed back in 2006, when the Land_e diesel-hybrid concept made its debut. Our first look at the Evoque, the LRX concept from the 2008 Detroit auto show, had a 2.0-liter diesel-hybrid powertrain. Since then, the British manufacturer has been adamant the system has a future. And that future is now, as Land Rover is expected to reveal hybridized Range Rover models at September's Frankfurt auto show. What wasn't expected, however, was that the combination of a 3.0-liter diesel and electric motor being available in the States. According to Edmunds, it will be. Land Rover declined to comment on the report, but such a move makes sense thanks to a confluence of events on the horizon. Come September of 2014, European regulations will demand significant reduction in the emission of nitrous oxides as part of the Euro 6 standards, which will fall closer those to standards in the U.S. The creation of nearly standardized regulations between the U.S. and Europe, in theory, means that more of the nifty compression-ignition lumps that currently aren't available to us soon will be. With automakers staring down the throat of ever-tougher CAFE standards in the U.S.—54.5 mpg by 2025—a move to higher-mileage diesels makes sense. Audi and Volkswagen, in particular, have turned to a number of oil-burning options to improve fuel economy, while Chevy and Mercedes-Benz each have introduced new diesels within the past 12 months. The recent uptick of offerings coincides with growth in the diesel market. According to Edmunds, sales of diesel-powered vehicles has grown 24 percent in 2010–2012 versus overall market growth of just 2.75 percent. First Drive: 2013 Land Rover Range Rover Comparison Test: 2013 BMW X3 xDrive28i vs. 2013 Audi Q5 2.0T, 2013 Land Rover Range Rover Evoque First Drive: 2014 Jaguar F-type There are questions that remain to be answered, of course. Will the variable cost of diesel fuel in the U.S. prove to be too unstable to form a business case around? Will the ever-improving efficiency of gasoline engines make a diesel-centric hybrid system unnecessarily excessive? Will the addition of "diesel" and "hybrid" badging, both worth a considerable premium on their own, prove to be too costly even for Land Rover? Initial answers will come in September when Land Rover unveils its latest tech, but whether or not such a model is viable stateside won't be known until some time after that. from Car and Driver Blog http://blog.caranddriver.com

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