Tata Motors Ltd.'s plans to make smaller, more fuel-efficient vehicles for its Land Rover luxury SUV brand may include a hybrid version of the Range Rover two-door Evoque set to debut next year as well as revamped versions of the Range Rover Sport and Land Rover LR4 during the next six years.

That's what Automotive News is reporting today, adding that no timing has been given for the Evoque hybrid and that Tata hasn't revealed additional hybrid-powertrain plans. The Range Rover platform will switch to one built by Tata from the current BMW-based platform, while the Range Rover Sport's use of aluminum in its new versions will reduce weight, Automotive News said.

Tata, which bought Jaguar Land Rover from Ford Motor Co. in 2008 for about $2.3 billion, is looking to boost sales for the luxury brands outside of the U.K. and U.S. while meeting more stringent European and U.S. fuel-economy standards by building more fuel-efficient SUVs.
 
Jaguar Land Rover has said its first hybrid from the division will be on the road by 2013, though hasn't specified which model. The company will also begin testing its Range-e plug-in hybrid-electric vehicle in the U.K. later this year, though spokesman Stuart Schorr told Green Car Advisor the company won't comment further on potential hybrid plans.

The division said in June that one of the new powertrain options for the 2011 Range Rover is a 4.4-liter turbodiesel V8 supplied by Ford. The engine, which is rated at 309 horsepower and 516 pound-feet of torque, gets an impressive 25.1 miles per gallon (U.S.) on the European Union combined cycle, which represents 19 percent better fuel efficiency than the outgoing 3.6-liter diesel.

Click here to read the rest of… Tata Motors Reportedly Plans to Add Small Vehicles and Hybrids to Land Rover Line