Land Rover Discovery Sport CONFIRMED as the new Freelander / LR2

Land Rover has confirmed that the replacement for the Freelander / LR2 will be the Land Rover Discovery Sport and will launch in 2015.

Land Rover Discovery Sport will be the new Freelander

This week has seen the reveal of the Land Rover Discovery Vision Concept in New York, the first look at the design language and technology a new family of Discovery models will offer.

But the first model in the new Discovery family won’t be a replacement for the Discovery but a replacement for the Freelander (or LR2 in some markets). And now we know it will be called the Land Rover Discovery Sport.

Initially arriving as a 5-seater, the Discovery Sport will also spawn a 7-seat version, both sporting the design and technology previewed ion the Discovery Vision Concept this week.

Land Rover’s Gerry McGovern said:

I am proud to confirm the nameplate that will make Discovery a family of vehicles for the first time. It will be called Discovery Sport and will go on sale in 2015.
This will be the most versatile and capable SUV in its segment and is the first expression of the Discovery Vision Concept unveiled here in New York.

It looks likely that Land Rover will preview the Discovery Sport later this year at the Paris Motor Show ahead of it going on sale in 2015, to be followed by the full-size Discovery.

So far, all we have on the Discovery Sport is the name and the name on an image (above) supplied by Land Rover. But we’ll be seeing far more very soon.