The Automotive India member has spotted what appears to be a Land Rover Discovery Sport with test plates but features like a single exhaust pipe jutting out from the bumper, Hexa XE’s steel wheels and the lack of any exterior embellishments suggest that the model is an early prototype of the Tata Q501.

The Q501 will be Tata Motors’ first product to be based on a Land Rover, something which we have been expecting since Tata Motors acquired Jaguar Land Rover. The Tata Q501 will share the floor pan and structural components with the Discovery Sport but will feature a unique exterior and interior worthy of a premium flagship.

Instead of borrowing JLR’s 2.0L Ingenium diesel engine, the Q501 will be powered by the Fiat 2.0-liter MultiJet II diesel engine paired to a 6-speed manual or automatic transmissions. The same engine will also feature on its close, upcoming rival – the Jeep Compass. Expect the Tata Q501 to feature an AWD system with a Land Rover’s Terrain Response program.

The Q501 is tipped to arrive in 2018, thus being the next all-new SUV after the Tata Nexon. It will be positioned above the Tata Hexa, directly on the path of the Toyota Fortuner and Ford Endeavour.