Phoenix Arizona is home to some of the most breathtaking desert landscape on the planet. Some popular spots, such as Camelback Mountain, can be done entirely on foot, while others, such as the Apache Trail which dramatically winds through the beautiful Superstition Mountains, can be done with any regular vehicle.
There are some bits of rugged road however where a 4 wheel drive with a decent clearance comes in handy, such as the slightly less popular but also breathtaking road through and over the Four Peaks wilderness area. The basic idea though is that when you head off for a desert adventure, your options, mobility, and safety are greatly enhanced by the use of a four wheel drive vehicle.
For this reason and others we here at Vroom we are always on the lookout for a new and improved off roading dream machine. Often this car will be a Jeep model, or maybe even a surprisingly tough and efficient crossover vehicle, but today we look to source that is at the same time obvious and unexpected: Land Rover.
With their iconic Defender model soon to be going away for good, the UK based Land Rover unveiled two different concept SUVs at this years Frankfurt Motor Show. The DC100 and DC100 Sport(the sport version is pictured above).
Both concepts are based on the same shared 100-inch wheelbase. They feature sustainable hi-tech materials and the latest technology to optimise fuel and operational efficiency at all times, in all modes and in all driving conditions.
DC100 and DC100 Sport include a variety of capability technologies including a Terrain-i scanning device to warn of obstacles when off-road, Wade Aid sonar technology to assess water depth and Land Rover Terrain Response System, which automatically optimises the car for any environment.
Land Rover is marketing the vehicle to two separate groups. The first is to relief and expedition groups working in the third world. The second is the what the company’s brand director called the “California surfer dude”.
The appeal to the relief and expedition groups could be taken as a positive sign the the concept vehicle’s versatility and no nonsense utility. The appeal to the California surfer dude seems a little out of place, as I couldn’t imagine it would be all that difficult to drive from Pasadena to Venice Beach, certainly not difficult enough so as to necessitate a Land Rover. I think that they may have done better to make an appeal to the rugged inland western outdoors type, the type that you will find in abundance in Phoenix and all over Arizona.
Phoenix Valley residents should not expect this car to hit Phoenix Valley lots any later than 2015, and quite possibly much sooner as Land Rover is pushing this concept from show to show like…well, something that they might be wanting to release well before 2015. Keep tuned to Vroom for the latest news on the best vehicles for off roading adventure in Arizona, as well as news from all over automotive industry.