Freelander successor is available with two engine options.
Land Rover produced the first Discovery Sport yesterday at its Halewood plant in the United Kingdom. The first car was handed over to Virgin Galactic which will use the Discovery Sport to prepare for the launch of the world's first commercial spaceline. Land Rover partnered with Virgin Galactic earlier this year to promote the new SUV.
Thanks to the Discovery Sport, the Halewood plant received investments of 200 million pounds (INR 1,977.9 crores), and created 250 new manufacturing jobs. The plant which also makes the Evoque, has seen investment double and workforce treble over the past 4 years. Land Rover say that it has awarded over 3.5 billion pounds (INR 34,614.4 crores) in contracts to 55 suppliers for the Discovery Sport.
The Discovery Sport will be available with a 2.2-liter diesel engine and a 2.0-liter turbocharged petrol engine (Ford engines). The SUV can be had with a 6-speed manual or a 9-speed automatic transmission with 2WD or 4WD.
Also read: Our off-roading experience with the Land Rover Freelander
Though the Discovery Sport is a replacement to the Freelander, it gets a 5+2 seating layout for added convenience. Other notable features seen inside include the 8-inch touchscreen infotainment system, a head-up display and an autonomous braking system.
Reports say that the Discovery Sport will be launched in India late next year or in 2016, and Land Rover is yet to officially confirm the exact timing.
Competitors: Audi Q5, Mercedes M Class, BMW X3, Volvo XC60
Expected Price: INR 45 lakhs, ex-Showroom
Launch date: 2015 in Europe
Land Rover Discovery Sport Enters Production - Press Release
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