Land Rover is all set to launch its Freelander replacement, the Discovery Sport SUV in India on September 2, 2015.
The Land Rover Discovery Sport will be powered by a 2.2-litre diesel engine with two power outputs —147bhp and 187bhp. The standard gearbox for both engines will be a nine-speed automatic.
The new Discovery Sport is likely to come loaded with a number of creature comforts such as Land Rover’s new InControl touchscreen system, leather seats with electric adjustment for the front row, panaromic sunroof, bi-xenon headlamps and dual-zone climate control. It will also get Land Rover’s Terrain Response 4WD system. The Discovery Sport will rival the likes of the Audi Q5, Volvo XC60 and the BMW X3. All of these come in a five-seat configuration, but the Discovery Sport will offer only a seven-seat version. While Land Rover is being cautious and calling it a ‘5+2’ seating arrangement on account of the limited space in the last row, the ability to seat seven could be a feature that seals the deal for many Indian buyers.
The stylish Land Rover Discovery Sport will be locally assembled at the company's Pune plant. This means pricing is expected to be competitive and will be on par with the higher variants of the Audi Q5 and the BMW X3.
Dealers have started accepting bookings for the Discovery Sport at Rs 5 lakh. Expected to come in four variants, the SUV is likely to be priced from Rs 50 lakh for the base S variant, going up to Rs 65 lakh for the top-spec HSE trim. (All prices estimated, ex-showroom, Delhi).