According to a report from Automobile magazine, the expansion of Land Rover's Range Rover sub-brand has only begun. The upscale SUV marque will be applied to several new models based on the company's new Premium Lightweight Architecture (PLA).
The first model on the new architecture will be the fourth-generation Range Rover which, based on spyshots we've seen, will incorporate some of the Evoque's styling cues along with a more modern, luxurious interior. A year later, a long-wheelbase version will follow. Curiously, it will only seat four while today's version can seat five.
The PLA platform will also spawn a new Range Rover Sport, which is expected to have a third row suited mainly for children. Other changes will be the addition of an eight-speed automatic transmission and a version of Jaguar's 3.0-liter supercharged V-6. That engine may supplant the naturally-aspirated 5.0-liter V-8 as the base engine. A plug-in hybrid option based on the V-6 model may also join the lineup as well.
Additionally, the report hints that an extended-length Evoque could be making an appearance, although this model's creation is not as certain as that of the PLA-based models. Although it would seem a seven-passenger Evoque would be stepping on the Freelander/LR2's toes, its due to be replaced in 2014, and evidently some within Land Rover believe there's room in the lineup for both models.