Photographs of the new 2011 Range Rover LRX sports utility vehicle (SUV) have appeared on the web.

The model has been spotted being put through its paces at the Nurburgring and, judging from the looks, it may bode well with London prestige car hire enthusiasts.

Aimed at moving the 4X4 British car manufacturer into greener motoring territory as part of the brand's 40th anniversary, the compact SUV on test looked similar to a Land Rover Freelander.

However, this is reported to be just a guise for the new eco-friendly car, which is being rushed through production and may appear as early as mid next year in production trim.

The original LRX concept was first presented by the British marque at last year's Detroit Motor Show.

Range Rover is known for its luxurious cars that boast both on-road and off-road agility.

The Range Rover Supercharged was recently reviewed by Topgear.com, which concluded that the car was "all the things a limo needed to be".

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