Land Rover Considering Performance Sub-Brand

AUCKLAND, New Zealand — Land Rover is considering introducing a new range of performance models. Global Brand Director John Edwards told Inside Line that, "there's definitely room for performance products," within the Land Rover portfolio and that the company was, "certainly considering" the possibility of a sporting sub-brand.

Supercharged variants of the Range Rover and Range Rover Sport already exist and a high-performance version of the Evoque is believed to be in development, based on the Si4. Combining these models under a common nomenclature would give Range Rover the equivalent of the "R" sub-brand employed by sister company Jaguar.

Company insiders admit the Evoque chassis can comfortably handle more power, and we'd expect to see an output of around 300 horsepower. Edwards refused to confirm or deny the existence of such a car. "We're very early in the lifecycle of the Evoque and there's a whole list of opportunities we can look at," he said. "It's a capable car as well as being pretty. We need to demonstrate that; we need to show its muscle."

The growth of the Chinese market will play a key role in this decision. China is expected to become Land Rover's biggest market in the next few years. "We need to think about the extension to the Evoque that will work best in China," said Edwards. "We might go for more luxury."

Inside Line says: Expect more luxury and more performance as the Evoque range grows.