As it turns out, this was a personal decision to leave the company, as Dinning says that Nokia is moving “a number of key strategic roles” to Finland. Since he and his family are based in the UK and don’t particularly want to move to another country, Dinning decided it was time to step down from his role at Nokia. After clearing the air surrounding his departure, Dinning proceeded to praise the “unsung heroes” who are responsible for the progress Nokia has made in the imaging field, and then revealed that photography isn’t his only passion.

He also happens to be passionate about cars, and cars are what he’ll be working with next. Dinning announced in his statement that he’ll be taking a position at Jaguar Land Rover, saying that he’ll be using in his knowledge in smartphone arena to help the company make advancements in the field of connected cars:

As for my future, I am moving to an industry I’ve wanted to be part of for a very long time. My experience in telecoms and smartphones provides me with a great opportunity to make a difference in a company whose own development is inspiring at a time of great change. I am thrilled that I’ll shortly be joining Jaguar Land Rover where I’ll take a role
driving future innovations in the exciting new field of Connected Car.

Earlier in the week, Dinning said on Twitter that he’s excited for December 10 to roll around. Since his last day at Nokia will be November 30, it stands to reason that his first day at Jaguar Land Rover will be December 10. We’ll be keeping an ear to the ground for more details, but in the meantime, be sure to check out PureViewClub to read Dinning’s full statement!

Those three model families include the high-end Range Rover, a new Defender, and the Freelander. A significant expansion of that Freelander model will create four new leisure SUVs during the next seven years. Right now, Land Rover isn’t giving any details on exactly how many of its new SUV models it believes it can sell. However, analysts believe if Land Rover can capture 3% of the market that it would produce close to 600,000 units annually.

The high-end Range Rover line will be expanded with six models, including the Evoque XL and a convertible Evoque. Land Rover is also reportedly considering a smaller three-door Range Rover that would be only 4 m long. Among the new Freelander, models will be five-seat and seven-seat versions with an entry-level Freelander similar in size to be current Evoque.

The Land Rover dual purpose or utility segment will include a production version of the DC100, which will replace the Defender. The drawings show five-seat and seven-seat Defenders as well as a crew-Pickup version. Some of the new vehicles will be built in a Chinese facility with a capacity of 130,000 vehicles per year with 60% of that number said to be Land Rover models.

[via Autocar]

Along with the official US unveil came the official US pricing for the SUV. The 2013 Range Rover will start at $83,500. We already know most of the details of the 2013 Range Rover, but I’ll run down all the important details again. The 2013 Range Rover went on a diet courtesy of an all aluminum unibody structure that is lighter and stronger than ever before.

Copious use of aluminum in the SUV allowed the new Range Rover to save about 700 pounds of weight compared to the previous generation. While the vehicle is lighter it has also been developed from the ground up to be an exceptionally capable off-road vehicle. The US version of the Range Rover will use a naturally aspirated 5.0-liter V8 engine.

The Range Rover starts at $83,500, and a high-end Autobiography version of the SUV will sell for $130,950. The new Range Rover also gets special suspension for improved ride comfort and gains 4.7-inches of legroom in the backseat compared to previous models. The new SUV also gets Land Rover’s new Terrain Response 2 Auto system that automatically selects the appropriate driving mode for the conditions.

The 2013 Range Rover will be produced at a new manufacturing plant located in Solihull, UK using new low-energy aluminum body construction technology. The new all aluminum unibody structure for the Range Rover is 39% lighter than the steel body used on the 2012 model Range Rover. The 39% lighter aluminum body means a weight savings of up to 926 pounds depending on specifications.

The version of the Range Rover heading to the US will have a naturally aspirated five-liter V8 engine that is 700 pounds lighter than the engine in the 2012 model. The drastically lighter weight of the new vehicle and its engine will mean better fuel economy and a reduction in emissions. The 2013 model also gets a re-engineered air suspension all around to provide luxurious ride and maintain handling agility.

Inside the vehicle, the interior has been improved with acoustic lamination for the windshield and side door glass to reduce noise levels. The suspension was engineered for improved ride comfort and in the backseat, there is 4.7 inches of additional legroom compared to previous models. The 2013 model also gets a new Terrain Response 2 Auto system is fully automatic and selects one mode the transmission needs to be in depending on the surface.

The convertible Evoque is a bit of a strange bird considering it is a drop top SUV. It appears to be going for the same drivers as the Nissan Murano CC targets. Since both of these vehicles are concepts, Land Rover offered very little detail on the vehicles.

There is no indication of when or if these vehicles will be built. There is also no detail on what hardware the two concepts use under the hood. All we really have this photograph showing the sleek exteriors are both vehicles. I wager these concepts use the same drive train the production counterparts use. The convertible Nissan hasn’t been a sales success, I’d be surprised to see Land Rover try its hand in the same market, but stranger things have happened.