New 4x4 family for SA: Discovery Sport revealed

Land Rover has revealed its new Discovery Sport, the first member of its new Discovery Family, with 5x2 seating “in a footprint no larger than existing five-seat premium SUVs”.

Land Rover digitally revealed its new Discovery Sport at Spaceport America in New Mexico, USA. Wheels24 wasn't there, but we have the story anyway... had we been there Gerry McGovern, Land Rover's design director and chief creative officer, would have told us:

“Our challenge has been to combine premium design with exceptional versatility; the two attributes must work in harmony.

HEADED FOR SA

“I’m proud to say we’ve achieved that. The Discovery Sport’s dynamic design will resonate on an emotional level with consumers and this vehicle is more versatile than any other premium compact SUV on the market.

"The cabin has high-quality materials, a new 20cm touchscreen infotainment system and standard tilt-and-slide row-two seating. Storage solutions abound and it can be specified with four 12V power points and six USB sockets."

Land Rover South Africa confirms its Discovery Sport will arrive locally early in 2015.

IMAGE GALLERY: 2015 Land Rover Discovery Sport    
VIDEO: 2015 Land Rover Discovery Sport launch

More that Land Rover would have told us: “With approach, departure and break-over angles of 25, 31 and 21 degrees, Terrain Response technology, and the ability to wade to 600mm, Discovery Sport offers class-leading capability in all conditions.”

TURBODIESEL POWER

The Discovery Sport has was the automaker claims is a first-in-class pedestrian airbag, autonomous emergency braking and a new body made of high-strength steel and lightweight aluminium, the package powered by a 140kW 2.2 SD4 turbodiesel engine driving through either a nine-speed auto or six-speed manual transmission. A two-wheel drive version, also with a turbodiesel engine, will come in 2015.

Phil Popham, Jaguar Land Rover's Group marketing director, said in a media release: “Not only does the Discovery Sport mark the introduction of the first new member of our expanding Discovery family bu it also brings the versatility of 5+2 seating to the compact premium SUV market.

"Discovery Sport’s versatility is a key differentiator. It is quite simply the most accomplished vehicle in its segment.”

TRIP TO SPACE?

The Discovery Sport will be produced at Land Rover’s facility in Halewood, Liverpool, in north-west England.

As part of the launch, a Land Rover Galactic Discovery competition kicked off as the automaker offered four friends a chance to win a trip into space with Land Rover’s global partner, Virgin Galactic.

Wheels24 might not have been to New Mexico, but one of us has been to space - technically, at 60 000ft in the much-mourned Concorde. It's dark up there...