2005 Land Rover LR3 Preview

Until then the only sport utility vehicle to offer a diesel engine in North America will be Jeep's updated 2005 Liberty, what

The new gearbox is "intelligent," adapting its shift patterns to a driver's personal style. (Photo: Land Rover)

was considered a risky decision last year but now as fuel prices continue to climb the charts appears more and more like an intelligent move. Land Rover has a history selling diesels in North America while its core clientele is sophisticated enough to embrace an alternate fuel technology, both key points that make importing the new TDV6 a smart business decision. The fact that I wouldn't buy an LR3 without a diesel means that the British brand is losing out on one sale for sure.

Engines aside, a major improvement which will allow for benefits in performance and fuel economy is the addition of a 6-speed automatic transmission with Command Shift manual actuation. The new gearbox is also "intelligent," adapting its shift patterns to a

A unique Integrated Body-frame architecture is said to provide "a stable foundation for refined on-road performance, while maintaining the off-road qualities essential to every Land Rover vehicle". (Photo: Land Rover)

driver's personal style, either optimizing performance or efficiency.

The LR3 should also be a much better performer through the curves. Its rolling stock is completely revised from the ground up, now with a unique Integrated Body-frame architecture which is said to provide "a stable foundation for refined on-road performance, while maintaining the off-road qualities essential to every Land Rover vehicle," in a Land Rover press release. The Ford Motor Company owned British SUV-maker made sure to endow its 2005 model with a low center of gravity, important for high-speed road-holding as well as traversing challenging lateral grades while off-road. That said its ground clearance has been dropped from 208 mm (8.2 inches) to 185 mm (7.3 inches), which will be a disadvantage off-road.