For Detroit in January, it’s unusual for the weather inside to be worse than outside, but Land Rover brought a thunderstorm to their press conference with simulated rain, wall-trembling thunder and flashes of “lightning.”

The reason? Design Chief Gerry McGovern is hoping he’s had a flash of inspiration with the little LRX concept, a vehicle he describes as a “cross coupe.” His team’s aim was to bring together qualities of utility, “premium-ness,” desirability and sustainability in an ambitious vehicle that, if built, would effectively create a new market sector.

With its clamshell hood, floating roof, honeycomb grille, and side air vents running through the fenders and into the doors, the LRX is instantly recognizable as a Land Rover. But its size (shorter than LR2), sharply falling roofline and low stance give it a more urban, sporty look than the company’s current products.

Aimed at buyers who will rarely go off-road, it nevertheless retains a full four-wheel-drive system. Its small dimensions are intended to give it the true spirit of a premium SUV but without the aggression, while its 50-mpg economy and low emissions neutralize the gas consumption and environmental downsides of SUV ownership.

That eye-catching 50 mpg is made possible by a hybrid powertrain utilizing a 2.0-liter turbodiesel engine with integrated starter-generator, and an additional electric motor linked to the rear differential. At speeds up to 20 mph, propulsion is purely electric; above that the engine kicks in.

Though clearly suitable for slow-moving traffic, this is especially useful off-road, where the high torque and controllability of electric propulsion offers improved control and smoother starts on difficult surfaces.

Even more progressive than the exterior shape is the futuristic interior. Richly detailed and luxuriously finished in leather and machined metal, with a modernist, industrial design ethic, it has precisely engineered controls and a 3D instrument panel.

Land Rover expects the LRX to appeal to younger, affluent buyers who would not necessarily have purchased a traditional SUV. Key to the company’s vision for it is the idea of sustainability and responsibility.

“Customers will demand that designers are more responsible in the way they develop vehicles in the future,” said McGovern.