The debut of ‘Project Hero’, a new Discovery vehicle with a tailor-made communications drone and other specialist technology to enhance Red Cross and Red Crescent emergency response operations in the wake of disasters, has been announced by Land Rover.

A new EU5 2.2-litre diesel engine replaces the EU4 2.4-litre diesel for 2011, bringing greater levels of performance and refinement to the 2012 Defender. The smaller capacity engine delivers the same power, torque and economy as its outgoing unit but makes this the cleanest Land Rover Defender yet produced. In EU5 markets, the new engine comes with a diesel particulate filter (DPF) to ensure the lowest possible levels of regulated emissions.

The new Range Rover Evoque passed an important milestone today when the first production vehicle was driven off the line at Land Rover’s Halewood manufacturing plant in Liverpool.