Land Rover’s->ke46 all-new Discovery Sport is now officially in production as the first example rolled off the assembly line in Halewood, UK. The 2016 Discovery Sport represents a departure from Land Rover’s typical style, taking after the brand’s highly successful Range Rover->ke469 line’s [Range Rover Sport.
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The new 5+2 compact SUV->ke145 also marks the beginning of Land Rover’s sub-branding of models, much like what it’s done with Range Rover. Land Rover’s expanding lineup is part of parent company Jaguar->ke39 Land Rover’s initiative to grow corporate sales of 750,000 units annually by 2020.
The first Disco Sport was received by Stephen Attenborough, the Commercial Director for Virgin Galactic. The Discovery Sport will be used by the pioneering spaceflight company to support its operations in the UK. The Discovery Sport is the latest vehicle in Virgin Galactic’s growing fleet of Land Rover products that are part of an ongoing partnership between Jaguar Land Rover and Virgin Galactic.
Another Discovery Sport will soon make its way to the U.S. where it will debut the vehicle’s launch at the Los Angeles Auto Show->ke211 in November 2014. The Discovery Sport will then likely go on sale in the fall of 2015, just in time for the 2016 model year.
Click past the jump to read more about the Land Rover Discovery Sport.
Why it matters
The Land Rover Discovery Sport marks a more competitive entry into compact SUV segment. This is a major step for JLR as the company reaches to fulfill its goal of 750,000 annual vehicle sales by 2020. With the crossover and small SUV market experiencing nothing but growth in the U.S., JLR’s timing is perfect.
Land Rover Discovery Sport
The Discovery Sport is an all-new vehicle that shares its powertrain with the popular Range Rover Evoque. Of course with it holding the Land Rover title, the Discovery Sport has plenty of off-road abilities, including Land Rover’s Terrain Response 2 system.
Under the hood lies a 2.0-liter, turbocharged four-cylinder making 240 horsepower and 251 pound-feet of torque. It’s mated to a nine-speed automatic transmission from ZF.
Pricing for the 2016 Discovery Sport starts at $37,995, which is only $1,400 than the aging LR2.