Land Rover have finally laid the rumours to rest, announcing the all-new Discovery Sport.
The new Discovery Sport steps in as the more modern, sportier avatar of the Discovery, a classic, go anywhere, all-rounder which could probably claim the love-it-or-hate-it contest win if there ever was one. Unlike the big, versatile and tough Discovery, the Discovery Sport is going to be, er, smaller, versatile and tough. Yes, It gains the now de rigeur Land Rover contemporary design, from the Evoque, of course, and looks unlike any Discovery of the past.
The Freelander will bid goodbye, as the new Discovery Sport sits in a similar-sized footprint, offering wither a 5-seat or 5+2 seat configuration without any change in wheelbase. The new design liberates more cabin room while incorporating a host of new features, not to mention all new drivelines.
The Discovery Sport will sport four-cylinder engines, from the 2.2-litre SD4 diesel to the new Ingenium range of 2.0-litre petrol and diesel motors. The 9-speed automatic box from ZF will do duty in this new model with the company’s renowned TerrainResponse2 intelligent all-wheel-drive system adding the icing on the cake.
The new Discovery Sport was unveiled to the world in Mexico, and will make its way around the globe to dealerships everywhere. We expect the new badge to break new ground here too, with the pricing much lower than the Discovery, but with the 5-seat Sport positioned in the old Freelander 2-Evoque SD4 region. In the UK, when the car goes on sale in January, the SD4 version will start from £32,395 (Rs 32.4 lakh). We look forward to taking the new girl for a spin.
Story: Jim Gorde
