LAND ROVER DISCOVERY SPORT 2015

Land Rover Discovery Sport: Preview

The Discovery Sport is the next generation compact SUV from Land Rover. The new model comes with 5+2 seating capacity giving it an edge over the competing mid-sized luxury SUVs.

Unveiled as the Discovery Vison concept, the new model will be the first in the all-new Discovery range. The cars get the new family face which is reminiscent of the Evoque and the new Range Rover family. The Discovery does not look like the typical old-school Land Rover models; it is modern, yet has lot of elements that are atypical of Land Rovers.

The front gets the twin-slat grille, sweptback headlamps, offset logo and massive front bumper. The tail lamps are very similar to that of the Evoque and get an all-LED treatment. In proportions, the Discovery Sport looks bigger than the entry-level Range Rover, something that should work in its favour.

The interior is modern with a vertical layout for the console, similar to the one seen in all the new Land Rover models. The new architecture also fits in seven seats in the relatively small cabin. The Discovery Sport will be available in India with a diesel engine in two different states of tune. The 2.2-litre four-cylinder diesel engine will be set up to deliver 147bhp or 187bhp depending upon the variant.

The SUV will use the 9-speed ZF gearbox from the Evoque and will power all four wheels when required via Land Rover’s acclaimed Terrain Response Technology. With Land Rover’s pedigree and more than decent ground clearance of 211mm, the Discovery Sport should have respectable off-roading capabilities.

The new SUV will be assembled in India via CKD operations in Pune and will compete with the BMW X3, Audi Q5 and the Mercedes-Benz ML-Class in the Indian market. The Discovery Sport will be launched on September 2 and is expected to be priced in the range of Rs 55 lakh to Rs 70 lakh.