Land Rover to End Discovery Sport Production in Dec 2026
Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) confirmed that it will cease production of the Discovery Sport in December 2026, ending an 11‑year run that began with the model’s 2015 launch as the replacement for the Freelander. The compact luxury SUV peaked in 2016 with global sales of more than 122,000 units, but by 2025 annual sales had fallen to less than one‑tenth of that level, making it the slowest‑selling model in JLR’s portfolio.
The decision aligns with the rollout of the European Union’s General Safety Regulation 2 (GSR2), which mandates safety technologies the aging Discovery Sport cannot accommodate without costly redesign. Factory orders have already been closed in several European markets, including Germany, France and Spain, though the vehicle remains configurable in the United Kingdom where the regulation does not apply.
JLR will keep the Range Rover Evoque and Velar in production and is preparing the new Defender Sport – a smaller, boxier off‑roader – to fill the market gap left by the Discovery Sport’s retirement.
Entities: Defender Sport · Discovery Sport · General Safety Regulation 2 · Jaguar Land Rover · Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) · Land Rover · Land Rover Discovery Sport · Mark Cameron · Martin Limpert
Claims
What the coverage asserts, and how well corroborated each claim is across sources.
- [● 3 SOURCES] Factory orders for the Discovery Sport have been closed in Germany, France and Spain. (multiple articles)
- [● 4 SOURCES] The upcoming Defender Sport is expected to replace the Discovery Sport in Land Rover’s lineup. (multiple articles)
- [● 5 SOURCES] By 2025 annual sales of the Discovery Sport had fallen to less than one‑tenth of the 2016 figure. (multiple articles)
- [● 5 SOURCES] EU General Safety Regulation 2 (GSR2) requiring safety features not present on the Discovery Sport contributed to its discontinuation. (multiple articles)
- [● 5 SOURCES] The Discovery Sport was launched in 2015 as the replacement for the Freelander. (multiple articles)
- [● 4 SOURCES] Jaguar Land Rover will continue production of the Range Rover Evoque and Velar. (multiple articles)
- [● 4 SOURCES] The Discovery Sport sold more than 122,000 units globally in 2016. (multiple articles)
- [● 5 SOURCES] Jaguar Land Rover will end production of the Discovery Sport in December 2026. (JLR spokesperson, multiple articles)