British luxury car maker Land Rover will introduce its first diesel model in India in 2013. It will be a diesel hybrid model that will be imported as a completely built unit. The company will begin testing its prototype christened as “Range_e” by the end of this year.
"The use of hybrid technology is part of the significant developments for the larger vehicles in the range. The first diesel hybrid will be available in 2012 and on the road in 2013," said an official statement from Land Rover owned by Tata Motors.
According to the company, it aims to achieve a range of 20 miles using electric power and achieving a top speed of 120kmph. The electric power train will be strapped to the existing 3.0 litre TDV6 diesel engine and mated to an 8-speed automatic transmission.
Land Rover has been testing a hybrid vehicle using alternative fuel technologies combined with conventional fuel. The fuel cells or batteries are used as an alternative source of power that are considered eco-friendly as they emit less than 100gms of CO2 per kilometre.
