It might be just Land Rover looking to keep prospective or like-sounding names in the corporate fold, but a moniker rumored to herald a new Land Rover model line has shown up in a trademark application.
Spotted by Autocar, the “Road Rover” trademark is the best sign yet that the British utility vehicle maker is planning a range of vehicles that aren’t quite as ballsy and rugged as its other famous offerings. Previously, the name showed up only in internal communications.
The Land Rover brand isn’t exactly known for fuel stinginess, but Jaguar Land Rover’s future product plan calls for a bevy of electric and electrified vehicles — a technological burden carried heavily by the Jaguar brand.
It’s possible Land Rover’s upcoming electric vehicle, due out in 2020, could bear the Road Rover badge. Premium furnishings (and price) are guaranteed, but body style, well, that’s anyone’s guess.
A sedan seems foolish in today’s market, but as we’ve seen with Ford, cars needn’t look like cars. Just lift a wagon or hatchback to a minor degree, add all-wheel drive capability to ensure decent off-road and all-weather cred, and lineups of buyers seem sure to form. One thing a Road Rover would promise is greater handling dynamics.
As the trademarked name implies, Land Lover would surely use this opportunity to build high-performing driver’s vehicles, either as standalone models or hi-po variants of more sedate vehicles, instilling the brand with a newfound sporting image (but not the type of sporting that involves tweed hunting jackets and double-barreled Italian shotguns).
[Image: Jaguar Land Rover]
Land Rover is NOT a “British utility vehicle maker”, it’s an INDIAN utility vehicle maker.
JLR builds them in INDIA now?
I will never buy another one.
By your logic, we don’t have Volkswagens anymore. They’re all Porsches.
‘Road Rover’
Can “Red Rover” be far behind?
You can’t call them Red. They’re Indian, but dot not feather.
Put the name on a “shooting brake” and enthusiasts will relax.
Land Rover will do this as soon as the new Defender comes down the production lines. If Porsche, BMW and Audi can enter Range Rover territory then clear Land Rover will Park it’s tank on their lawns too! Range Rover sports car anyone?
The Autocar article you referenced also explains the origin of the name, which lies deep within the history of Land Rover.
To quote: “Road Rover is, like Velar, the name of an experimental model from the company’s past. It was first proposed at the beginning of the 1950s as a bridge between Rover cars and the original Land Rover.”
Then in the 1990s, the original Freelander (I think it was called LR2 or something in the US?) was meant to spawn a Rover badged variant, a mainstream manufacturer crossover before the craze really kicked in.
Well, 99.99% of Range Rovers are Road Rovers, anyway — using their awesome off roading capabilities to conquer challenging shopping mall speed bumps and an occasional mud puddle. It’s such a phony brand.
I think Mars Rover is already taken.
“Land Lover” ? (Last Paragraph…….)
:)
Lol, yes, even Rovers prefer land to sea
Make a pickup and call it Load Lover.
Jack it up a couple of inches and call it a Roll Over… and over… and over
Just rename the whole company that, they make absolutely nothing capable of going off-road now as it is. Maybe trails, but most people don’t count trails as off-roading, you can find all kinds of FWD Toyota corollas and camrys traveling up and down trails all over this country without the horrible design language LR has been using the past 8 years. What a waste of a brand, even Jeep still offers 1 off-road vehicle in its stable.