MUNICH, Sept 3 — Land Rover, the British maker of upscale sport-utility vehicles, will add an entry-level model with the compact Discovery Sport that’s part of a plan to overhaul its lineup over the next five years.
The new vehicle, starting at £32,395 (RM169,840), will come to market in 2015 as Land Rover’s cheapest model after the Defender offroader and urban Range Rover Evoque, following the end of the Freelander’s production later this year.
The SUV “demonstrates our commitment to continued investment in new models and innovation,” Phil Popham, marketing director of Tata Motors Ltd.’s premium Jaguar Land Rover division, said in a statement.
Jaguar Land Rover accounts for most of the profit at Mumbai-based Tata Motors, India’s biggest automaker. The Whitley, England-based unit, which also produces the Jaguar F- Type convertible sports car and XJ sedan, said today that it’s investing £3.5 billion in the year through March 31 to add capacity and models.
Land Rover is modernising its model range as upscale marques expand into the SUV segment. Fiat SpA’s Maserati is planning its first crossover, as is Volkswagen AG’s British ultra-luxury brand, Bentley.
The Discovery Sport will be available in five- or seven- seat configurations and feature pedestrian air bags, autonomous emergency braking and a range of four-cylinder turbo gasoline or diesel engines, Land Rover said.
Jaguar is scheduled to introduce a mid-size sports sedan, the XE, on Sept. 8 and begin deliveries in 2015. That model will compete against Bayerische Motoren Werke AG’s 3-Series and Daimler AG’s Mercedes-Benz C-Class. — Bloomberg
