The Chery-JLR joint venture in China are preparing a
facelift for the Land Rover Discovery Sport, according to a report from
AutoHome. The publication has also posted a spyshot which shows a Discovery
Sport with camouflaged panels and revised bumpers.
Land Rover is learnt to be making changes to the
Discovery Sport's platform for the global markets. European media state that in
a bid to introduce a hybrid variant on the SUV, engineers are working on
stiffening the Discovery Sport's chassis to accommodate lithium-ion batteries
in its underbelly. The revised platform is called Premium Transverse
Architecture (PTA), though for the Chinese market, the SUV is likely to
continue with the existing D8 platform which will underpin the Tata Harrier.
In a price sensitive economy such as China,
manufacturers prefer to introduce mild updates to keep the product relevant,
rather than massive structural changes which will increase costs. However, if
the joint venture decides to introduce the Discovery Sport hybrid, it may have
to consider moving to the PTA. Until then, the mildly updated Discovery Sport
for China will offer rectangular exhausts, a body-colored faux-diffuser for a
sportier stance, new alloy wheel patterns and revisions to the upholstery and
trim.
Manufactured at the Chery-JLR JV plant in Changshu
(the same plant produces the Range Rover Evoque), the Discovery Sport for the
Chinese market is available with a 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder petrol
engine in two states of tune - 200 hp and 240 hp - and a 9-speed automatic
transmission.
