Land Rover reveals the Discovery Sport

Land Rover has taken off the covers from the new Discovery Sport, a versatile premium compact SUV that is the first member of the new Discovery vehicle family. This will replace the Freelander2 and will be the new entrant SUV for a Land Rover badge. A compact footprint provides seven-passenger seating in a "5+2" configuration. This has a 240bhp turbocharged 2.0-litre petrol and 2.2-litre diesel engine options, with nine-speed automatic transmission and standard all-wheel drive.

Designed and engineered at the Land Rover Development Centre in the UK, the Discovery Sport will be produced at the company's manufacturing facility in Halewood, Liverpool, in the United Kingdom. It goes on sale in early 2015 in the European and North American markets and will be sold alongside the Discovery 4 or the LR4.

The progressive design of the Discovery Sport sets the tone for a new generation of Land Rover Discovery premium SUVs. Its seven-seat capability and elegantly integrated storage areas make the Discovery Sport an ideal family vehicle. High-quality materials and finishes typical of Land Rover also distinguish the driving experience.

Some compact SUVs go for visual impact. Others prioritize space usage and versatility. The new Land Rover Discovery Sport combines the two and also offers the brand's renowned all-terrain capability, with the ability to scale a 45-degree incline.

The new Land Rover Discovery gets its efficient power from the same turbocharged four-cylinder gasoline engine as the Range Rover Evoque. A nine-speed automatic transmission and Haldex All-Wheel Drive are both standard, for confident on-road handling and all-terrain capability.

The ZF 9HP48 nine-speed automatic transmission, also featured in the Range Rover Evoque, uses closely spaced gear ratios to provide seamless response and allow for a very low first gear and powerful mid-range acceleration. Second gear, which is approximately equivalent to first gear in transmissions with fewer ratios, is used to start off from a standstill to maximize efficiency and refinement. This is the same transmission that we had witnessed on the new Range Rover Evoque too.

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