Future Land Rover Discovery Sport is in doubt, but Discovery just confirmed

Its sales fell and it was squeezed by the Land Rover model, but Discover will live in a new generation – although the future of Discovery Sport is less reassuring.

Jaguar Land Rover CEO Thierry Bolloré told Auto Express the Discover will be replaced, although it is the slowest-selling Land Rover brand.

“We are completely reinventing Discovery. We believe there is a space for it, but we have to be creative,” said Mr Bolloré.

“Defender is so successful that it has eaten part of Discovery’s territory. Defender is a brand.

“We believe Discovery can also be a brand. We’re looking at how we present our future squad – that’s what we’re always thinking about. “

It shows that Land Rover wants to expand the Discovery family, which now includes full-sized and mid-sized Discovery Discovery Sport.

However, such an expansion is expected to see the Discovery sub-brand pushed up to luxury – at the expense of Discovery Sport.

When asked if there will be a new generation of mid-size SUV, Bolloré replied: “We don’t know yet. But a Discovery, yes. “

The Discovery Sport now offers buyers a more practical, upright alternative to similarly sized cars, as far as mechanics are concerned. Range Rover Evoque.

The Range Rover brand, for context, offers three models – top-of-the-line Range Roverplus Sport and Velar – while Defender’s family including 90, 110, 130, with reports many variations are yet to be released.

But Bolloré also talks about defining Discovery more clearly, especially as some of its patrons are shaken with Defender.

“We needed to create a real family car for the most discerning families,” he said.

“Discovery must and should play this role may disappear from the market – at least in the luxury segment. Discovery will be that car. “

While the new flagship Range Rover offers a third row of seats (and vice versa, the new Range Rover Sport has lost a row of seats), Bolloré says the Range Rover is “not like the Discovery”.

As such, Bolloré’s comments point towards a more overtly family-focused Discovery, with a more premium feel than a Defender if not as luxurious as a Range Rover.

This is supposed to mean a transition to the new Range Rover and Range Rover Sport MLA architecture. Discovery currently shares the D7u platform with the upcoming Range Rover and Range Rover Sport.

That will allow the next Discovery to use a range of powertrains, including diesel and gasoline mild hybrids, plug-in hybrids and all-electric powertrains.

Indeed, in JLR’s most recent financial report, it was confirmed that all JLR nameplates will be available for all-electric powertrains by the end of the decade.

Electric versions of the new Range Rover and Range Rover Sport will arrive in 2024. They are two of a total of six electric models that will launch in 2026.

The current discovery will last for a few more years. It was introduced in 2017 and was the first generation of Discovery to move away from the square, boxy shape the nameplate was known for.

Controversially, however, it retained the brand’s asymmetrical rear doors, which prompted aftermarket to develop a solution with a center-mounted number plate.

The Discovery Sport line was introduced in 2014 as a replacement for the Freelander, although an overhauled version entered production in 2019 under the name Land Rover called the New Premium Horizontal Architecture.

Between January and June 2022, Land Rover sold 5269 Discovery SUVs globally and 18,971 Discovery Sports.

For context, over the same time period it sold 12,479 Range Rover Velars, 22,631 Range Rover Sports, 26,719 Range Rover Evoques, 11,911 Range Rovers and 30,072 Defenders.

In Australia, the gap between Discovery and Defender in terms of sales is even sharper. From January to July 2022, Land Rover sold only 78 Discovery SUVs compared to 918 Defenders.

The Discovery Sport’s 375 sales surpass the Velar (250) and are not far behind the Evoque (448). It outsold almost every competitor, however, with Genesis GV70 close behind in its rearview mirror (312 sales).

Jaguar Land Rover Australia has previously said they don’t worry about Discovery’s declining sales.

Jaguar Land Rover Australia chief executive Mark Cameron said: “The concerns we may have about Defenders being able to eat Discovery at this time are certainly not real.”

“Moving the Discovery to a much higher standard equipment level and at around $100-120,000 RRP with a six-cylinder petrol and diesel engine, it really found its own space there.”

In 2016, the last year of the previous-generation Discovery, Land Rover sold 2470 units while the current generation’s best year so far was 2018, with 1833 units sold.

Discovery Sport also plummeted without brakes. In its best year, 2018, it achieved 4547 sales. By 2021, it has dropped to just 843 units, but admittedly last year’s COVID-19 shortage environment and chip shortages were significantly less favorable for sales.

For the 2023 model year, Land Rover has switched the Discovery Sport line in Australia back to just two variants, with the old diesel option dead.

If Land Rover prioritizes the newer Discovery over the new Discovery Sport, it will echo the current trend of luxury brands stopping production of more affordable models to focus on more expensive, profitable vehicles. higher.

For example, Mercedes-Benz is selecting entry-level luxury cars from seven to four vehicles with the next-generation change, while the Audi its A1 axis and Q2 and has no plans to follow other Volkswagen Group brands in introducing an electric car in the city.

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THAN: Everything Land Rover Discovery Sport