Stacy94PGT

By Richard Truett
Automotive News / May 30, 2003

DETROIT - Ford's Land Rover division will start testing four diesel-powered SUVs in the United States this fall.

Two Range Rovers and two Freelanders will be put into Land Rover's test fleet, spokesman Bill Baker said. The vehicles will be used to demonstrate how well modern common-rail diesel engines perform compared with older, smoke-belching diesels, he said.

Journalists, politicians and Ford employees are able to drive these test vehicles.

The test does not mean Land Rover plans to offer diesels in U.S. models, Baker added.

The Range Rover diesel delivers 22 mpg on the highway, compared with 14 mpg for the gasoline-powered model. The compact Freelander SUV with a diesel engine delivers nearly 30 mpg on the highway, Baker said, compared with about 20 mpg for the gasoline model.

Diesels account for a large part of Land Rover's European sales, but none are offered in North America.

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Stacy94PGT
My first car was a 67 Mustang Coupe, 2nd one was a 67 Cougar XR-7, 3rd one was a 66 Mustang Coupe. Why did I get rid of these cars for ? I know why, because I'm stupid, stupid, stupid.

My next Ford.....

RPO83

Land Rover to add diesel SUVs to road test fleet

Source: just-auto.com editorial team


Land Rover North America (LRNA) will add two diesel-powered Range Rovers and two diesel Freelanders to its test fleet, Automotive News reported, citing LRNA spokesman Bill Baker.

The vehicles will be used to demonstrate how well modern common-rail diesel engines perform compared with older diesels, Baker told the trade weekly.

According to the report, politicians, Ford employees and journalists will be able to drive the vehicles but the test does not mean Land Rover plans to offer diesels in US models.

DaimlerChrysler last November said it would begin test-marketing diesel versions of the Jeep Liberty (Cherokee) in the US from 2004. It currently makes and exports diesels, predominantly to Europe.

Land Rover’s Range Rover and Freelander both have engines bought-in from former owner BMW. Future models are expected to have newly designed Ford diesels developed by a joint venture with France’s PSA Group.

Citing Baker, Automotive News said the [three-litre, turbocharged straight-six] Range Rover diesel gets 22 mpg highway, compared with 14 mpg for the petrol-powered model, while the [two-litre, four-cylinder turbo] Freelander diesel engine gets about 30 mpg highway, compared with about 20 mpg for the petrol version.

Although 1.8-litre four-cylinder petrol versions are built for other markets, LRNA sells only 2.5-litre V6 petrol models in the US. Their ‘K-series’ engines come from MG Rover’s Powertrain Limited plant in the UK.

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*Retired.