Land Rover is set to celebrate the first 40 years of its Range Rover line next June. To mark the occasion it is unleashing a new model that’s ready to bring its product up to date with the modern needs regarding fuel efficiency and a lower environmental impact.

The new vehicle is the Range Rover LRX, and according to reports the small Rover will see its debut in June, 2010 with the first production models rolling down the line in early 2011. Styling both inside and out is expected to stay very close to the well-received LRX concept from the 2008 Detroit Auto Show.

Based on underpinnings as the Freelander, the LRX may feature a transverse engine driving the front wheels with the first application of Land Rover’s e TERRAIN electric drive rear axle, a setup that is said to be capable of powering the rear wheels using battery power only at speeds up to 35 kph.