Land Rover Discovery Sport to be launched in India in late 2015

The Land Rover Discovery Sport is Land Rover’s newest SUV and will soon be replacing the aging Freelander marquee globally. The new SUV will also be launched in India in late 2015 and will be the cheapest Land Rover model on offer. The new Land Rover Discovery Sport will be priced cheaper than its namesake, the standard LR4 Discovery model.

The new Land Rover Discovery Sport will come with both a petrol and diesel engine. Although the specs for the diesel have mot been announced yet, we assume the Discovery will get the same tried and tested 2.2-litre, turbocharged, 4-cylinder motor with 180PS of peak power. On the other hand, the 2.0-litre, turbocharged, 4-cylinder petrol engine will make 250PS of peak power. Both engines will be mated to the all-new 9-speed gearbox and will come with an all-wheel-drive system. The new Land Rover Discovery Sport is also much lighter due to a large percentage of aluminum used in its construction.

The new Discovery Sport uses modern styling cues from the likes of more expensive Land Rover Models like the Range Rover, the Range Rover Sport and the Range Rover Evoque and combines it with the traditional stance and appeal of the older Discovery and Freelander. For example, the C-pillar pays homage to the highly successful Freelander 1 compact SUV that was launched in the early 90s. Although the rear is very reminiscent of Range Rover Evoque and the Range Rover sport, the larger dimensions combined with the twin exhausts make it look modern and appealing.

Expect the Land Rover Discovery Sport to make it to India by early next year and be priced at about Rs 45-50 lakh (Ex-showroom, Mumbai). The Discovery Sport will take on rivals like the Audi Q5, the newly refreshed BMW X3 and Mercedes ML-Class.