Jaguar Land Rover's commitment to electrify their
range will reportedly include a hybrid version of the facelifted Discovery
Sport. Autocar says that the updated SUV will hit showrooms next year, with a
1.5-liter three-cylinder engine and an electric motor option.
The internal combustion mill is said to be shared
with the upcoming Range Rover Evoque PHEV, and in combination with the EV unit,
and battery, it's expected to allow it to cover some 48 km of
zero-emission driving.
Besides the technical modifications, the 2019 Land
Rover Discovery Sport will also benefit from some minor visual tweaks on the
outside, in addition to some cabin improvements, as the British brand is
expected to introduce an updated infotainment system.
Not much else is known about the Freelander's
facelifted successor so far, but it's not JLR's only product receiving
electrification, as besides the aforementioned Evoque PHEV, the automaker is
also working on the Range Rover and Range Rover Sport PHEVs. Both models will
reportedly use the 2.0-liter petrol unit, in combination with an electric
motor.
Further down the road, every new JLR vehicle will be
electrified in some way from 2020. The announcement was made earlier this
month, by Jaguar Land Rover's head honcho, Ralf Speth, who confirmed that their
first fully electric performance SUV, the I-Pace, will arrive at dealers in
2018.
