The Range Rover celebrates its 40th birthday on 17th June 2010. The Range Rover was the worlds first vehicle as good on road as off-road. Phil Popham, Managing Director of Land Rover said “Land Rover has a unique history of product innovation, but the Range Rover probably remains the most historically significant vehicle we have ever launched. It is one of the most important vehicles in the history of motoring.”

There have been three generations of the Range Rover, the Original now known as the Classic went on sale in 1970. The second generation Range Rover known as the P38a went on sale in 1994 and was replaced in 2001 by the current model. A second model line, the Range Rover Sport, was launched in 2005, aimed at more sports-oriented driver-focused customers. It has been a great success, and in 2007 was Land Rover’s biggest selling vehicle worldwide. Later this year, a further member of the Range Rover family will be added, taking the portfolio to three model lines. The new vehicle will be smaller, lighter and more fuel efficient, tying in perfectly with the Range Rover brand’s commitment to environmental sustainability. Yet it will be no less premium, no less luxurious, and no less special than the other Range Rover models.

The Range Rover is extremely well built with the interior using the finest plastics, chrome and wood. It is all very thick luxurious and put together very well to give it a good solid feel. The Range Rover comes with all the equipment you would ever need, the entry level is fitted with leather, 19in alloys, a CD changer, climate control, and metallic paint as standard. There is oceans of room front and rear inside the Range Rover, it is wide with supreme comfort for three adults in the rear. The boot is a good size at 535 litres and the rear seats fold over to make more than treble the load area.

Prices for the Range Rover start at £66,095 for the Vogue Auto rising to £81,725 for the Range Rover Supercharged V8 Autobiography Auto.

Land Rover’s new compact Range Rover – on sale next year – will be the firm’s first vehicle to be offered in two-wheel drive format.

Destined to be the lightest, most fuel efficient Range Rover ever, with claimed CO2 emissions of less than 130g/km, the new vehicle will be based on the LRX concept that was revealed two years ago.

Of course, it will also be offered in four-wheel drive form, Land Rover revealed. One thing that isn’t being revealed is the new car’s name – we wil have to wait until the summer to find out what it will be called.

Phil Popham, Land Rover’s managing director, said: “This is good news for the company and for our customers. A two-wheel drive option is just one way in which we are developing our vehicles’ efficiency while adding to the Land Rover range and expanding our customer base.

The new Range Rover Sport will be available for test drive new year. It is planned to introduce the car for sale in 2012.

If the CO2 emissions turn out to be only 100g/km, the Range Rover will be moved, for its carbon emissions, in the same emission class as smaller vehicles such as the Citroën C1 and Ford Focus Econetic.

The Range Rover Sport will have the 3.0-litre V6 diesel motor. Its parallel 25kW electric motor will allow it to run as an all-electric vehicle.

The car will operate as a plug-in and surplus electrical energy will be stored in a conventional battery pack.

The capacitors deliver high voltages but low currents. The technology is said to suit the Land Rover especially as the short and sharp energy boost is well suited for off-road driving.

Mitsubishi launched its electric i-MiEV whereas BMW – electric Mini. Both models were exposed for trial. 40 customers tried out Mini in Oxford for a period of six months.

The aim of the project was to evaluate the psychological, social and technological aspect of living with an electric car. Oxford Brookes University will gather the data and make it public.

The Mini E looks similar to the standard Mini but the back seat is converted to store batteries. Acceleration in the new Mini is similar to the other version as the 35kWh lithium-ion battery powers a 201bhp electric motor.

The overall CO2 emissions from the new vehicle equal 68g/km. It is half CO2 emitted by Ford Fiesta. It is said that the emissions will be even lower in the future as more renewable energy will be used.

Owner of the Mini, BMW, estimates that it will cost £1.50 a night and £4.00 during the day to charge the batteries. Each charge will allow the car to drive 150 miles.

Mitsubishi’s i-MiEVs will be tried out in Coventry and Birmingham as part of the Low Emission Vehicle Demonstrators project. As many as 110 cars are going to take part in the project.

According to the scheme, Indian Tata will contribute 25 electric Indicas, Microlab will supply 10 hydrogen fuel cell cars, Land Rover will provide five Range_e plug-in hybrids and LTI – five electric taxis.

Birmingham City Council and Coventry City Council will install electric charging points and allow access to the University of Birmingham’s hydrogen refueling station.

All three new models: the upgraded Range Rover, Range Rover Sport and Discovery 4 have been very successful. Sales rose from 35,900 to 44,300 vehicles.

The company is experiencing some stability at the moment “with certain key markets showing signs of recovery”.

Brand manager Andy Goy comments, “Our customers value authenticity. It’s like a diver’s watch; not many people will dive to a couple of hundred metres under the surface, but they like to know the watch can do it.”

While he recognises that most owner will take one off-roading course and then use their rover for towing trailers and driving around town, he sees the market as based around people that want quality and robust vehicles.

A team of three Cambridge graduates has today received a Land Rover Defender 110 and a cheque for £10,000, at the Royal Geographical Society (with IBG) in London, to embark on an expedition of approximately 32,000km, through 31 countries, to raise awareness of the potential impacts of climate change along the Atlantic coastline.

‘Atlantic Rising’, winners of the 2009 ‘Go Beyond’ Bursary, which was awarded by the RGS-IBG and Land Rover earlier this year, will navigate land around the Atlantic Ocean by attempting to follow the 1m contour line which scientists forecast could become the new coastline in 100 years.

Tim Bromfield, Lynn Morris, and Will Lorimer, will follow the 1m contour line around the Atlantic as closely as possible, visiting schools and creating an educational network with up to 10,000 students along the route. They will report from some of the remotest coastal regions of the Atlantic Ocean and establish a sea-level change education project that can be used in 1,200 schools throughout the world via the Rafi.ki online schools network.

Tim Bromfield from Atlantic Rising said, “Education is the most powerful weapon we have to combat climate change. By encouraging students around the Atlantic to work together, we want to highlight our shared responsibility in dealing with this critical issue. By encouraging international friendships, we hope to make people care enough to act.”

Dr Rita Gardner, Director of the Royal Geographical Society (with IBG), said, “This project, made possible through our partnership with Land Rover, focuses on one of the most challenging issues we face – the potential impacts of climate change in coastal regions. As recipients of the Bursary, Atlantic Rising have been granted the opportunity to ‘go beyond’ their normal limits and boundaries and at the same time support one of the Society’s objectives which is to promote the wider understanding and enjoyment of geography.”

This is the second ‘Go Beyond’ Bursary run by RGS-IBG on behalf of Land Rover, whose partnership with the Society has existed for more than 20 years.

Land Rover holds sustainability at the core of its business activity, including sponsoring conservation partners such as RGS-IBG. Together with sister company, Jaguar, Land Rover is investing £800m in sustainable technology which includes the development of hybrid technology and the use of lightweight material. As part of Land Rover’s commitment to sustainability, the manufacturing and mileage of the 110 Defender vehicle are being carbon offset through ClimateCare who run Land Rover’s CO2 Offset Programme in the UK , France, The Netherlands, Belgium, Norway, Sweden, Austria and other international markets.

To keep up to date with the Atlantic Rising team please visit their website http://atlanticrising.wordpress.com. For more information about the Go Beyond bursary please log on to www.rgs.org and for more details concerning Land Rover’s sustainability programme please visit www.landrover.com/ourplanet.

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Additional technology ensures this doesn’t interfere with driving, by disabling the feature if the battery is low, if there is a big demand on climate control or if the special ‘terrain response mode’ is activated. It also disabled the feature if the temperature is above or below certain levels.

This new start/stop technology delivers a decrease in CO2 emissions of 8%, and improved fuel consumption. Simple, yet highly effective. Vehicles such as the new model Freelander have a host of other eco-friendly features that are sure to raise the bar for other 4×4 manufacturers.

Land Rover completes its introduction of the acclaimed new line-up for 2010 at the IAA International Motor Show, Frankfurt. Topping the bill is a new Range Rover Sport Autobiography limited edition and for the first time, a luxurious reclining rear seat package for the Range Rover.

Land Rover’s latest line-up sees exciting developments across the range, including more powerful new engines offering greater fuel efficiency, dynamic upgrades and striking exterior and interior design improvements for the Range Rover, Range Rover Sport and Discovery 4.

“With August sales up 11.6% against the same period last year, we are now starting to see early signs of stability in the UK market” said John Edwards, managing director Land Rover UK. “We’re therefore convinced that one of the best ways to help keep things moving is to excite potential customers with new and improved vehicles. Our range for 2010 is without doubt our strongest ever, and early signs show that these new products are receiving an outstanding reception in the marketplace.”

Autobiography limited edition Sport versions join Range Rover Sport line-up

An unprecedented level of choice for Range Rover Sport customers is now available, with a stunning new Autobiography Sport limited edition, on 3.6 litre TDV8 and Supercharged derivatives. Available in a variety of themes, only 500 units will go on-sale in the UK featuring duo-tone premium leather interiors as well as unique exterior design cues including the grille, vents and 20″ diamond turned finish alloy wheels, all presented for the first time at the IAA.

All feature a dramatic new body kit which is tailored to accentuate the sophisticated style of the 2010 Range Rover Sport.

The Range Rover - now with enhanced rear seat luxury

For 2010, Land Rover’s flagship Range Rover offers a powerful new 5.0 litre supercharged LR-V8 engine (alongside the popular TDV8), revolutionary interior technologies and enhanced driving dynamics. Now, a series of further refinements are available as options across the range, with the focus on enhanced luxury for rear seat passengers.

Land Rover is introducing electronically-controlled reclining rear seats, which will be particularly valued by chauffeur-driven customers. Controlled by the rear passengers and available with heated and cooled functionality, four-way adjustable lumbar support and airline-style winged head restraints. Rear seat passengers can also enjoy significantly increased leg room by remotely moving the front passenger seat to its forward-most position (when the front passenger seat is unoccupied). The addition of laminated rear-door privacy glass significantly reduces interior noise levels too.

The peerless luxury and exclusivity provided by the Range Rover is given a further boost by the addition of four sumptuous new interior colour combinations on the Autobiography series, and the availability of the world-class Logic 7 1200W Harman Kardon High Dynamics audio system, with 15 independent channels driving 19 premium quality speakers.

The Range Rover Sport Autobiography limited edition and additional new features on the Range Rover will be available in the UK from January 2010. Prices will be announced closer to the on-sale date. For more information or to arrange a test drive, visit your local Land Rover dealership or log onto www.landrover.co.uk

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The vehicle is available for sale on Auto Trader online through AB Motors, for £59,994, and based on past sales of Gerrard’s customised vehicles, it’s sure to sell fast.