The teaser that Land Rover->ke46 showed at the Geneva Motor Show->ke228 was billed as "a sign of things to come" for the new Discovery->ke511. And while no announcements have been made on what kind of look the new Discovery->ke511 will sport, this new batch of spy shots of the Baby Discovery could be what all that teasing was alluding to.
The recent demise of the Freelander->ke510 name opened the door for the Discovery to have a more prominent role in the Land Rover lineup, and it appears that these new spy photos indicate what could be that long-rumored Baby Discovery, albeit one that's sportier-looking than those Baby Discovery spy shots we showed back in January.
Before we jump to any conclusions, it's important to note that the heavy camo makes it rather difficult to make out some elements of the SUV. But there is some noticeable styling, particularly the massive air intakes on the front, the Evoque-like headlights and that massive front grille, which could also point to a more performance-oriented version of the Baby Discovery that carries the R-S badge.
Something tells us there's still more than what meets the eye with this Baby Discovery, and judging by how much Land Rover is slow-playing this, it wouldn't shock us to see more spy photos of this vehicle ahead of its debut at the 2014 Paris Motor Show->ke2816 later this year.
Update 3/12/2014 @ 5:25 p.m.: Our spy photographer just informed us that this may also be a mule for the upcoming Jaguar SUV. According to his source, the license plate matched up to a Jaguar plate, but he could not officially confirm it.
Click past the jump to read more about the 2016 Land Rover Baby Discovery R-S.
2016 Land Rover Baby Discovery R-S
- Make: Array
- Model: 2016 Land Rover Baby Discovery R-S
- [do not use] Vehicle Model: Array
Spy Shots
March 11, 2014 - First Testing Session
The apparent size of this camouflaged mule of the Discovery R-S fits into the belief that with a modified Evoque platform in the mix, it's expected to be bigger than the current Freelander, which is the model that the Baby Discovery is essentially replacing.
Competitors
One model that is set to arrive around the same time as the Baby Discovery is the Porsche Macan. It will arrive on the market in 2015 as the baby-brother of the larger Cayenne.
The new Macan will be offered with a four-cylinder engine with 220 horsepower, while the more powerful Macan S will get a 3.0-liter, V-6 engine with an output of 290 horsepower. Diesel fans will get a 2.0-liter, diesel engine with about 190 horsepower and a hybrid powertrain is also rumored.
Like the Baby Discovery R-S, Audi also has plans to introduce the next-generation Q5. But for now, the current Q5 remains a standard bearer in its segment, complete with a choice of two engines: a standard 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder that packs 220 horsepower and 258 pound-feet of torque and a 3.0-liter V-6 that makes 272 horsepower and 295 pound-feet of torque.