Land Rover to End Discovery Sport Production in 2026

KUALA LUMPUR, JULY 2026 – Land Rover has confirmed that production of the Discovery Sport will end in December 2026, bringing the entry-level SUV’s run to a close after more than 11 years.

The Discovery Sport remains available for configuration in the United Kingdom, but factory orders have already stopped in several European markets, including France, Germany and Spain. JLR said manufacturing would be gradually wound down in selected markets ahead of the official production deadline.

The SUV was launched in the UK in February 2015 and became one of Land Rover’s most important volume models. In 2016, its first full year on sale, more than 122,000 units were sold worldwide, making it JLR’s best-selling vehicle at the time.

However, demand has declined significantly in recent years. Global sales in 2025 reportedly fell to less than one-tenth of the model’s 2016 total, making the Discovery Sport JLR’s slowest-selling vehicle and placing it behind the larger Land Rover Discovery.

The decision to withdraw the Discovery Sport from several European markets coincides with the implementation of the European Union’s updated General Safety Regulation 2 requirements.

The regulations require new vehicles to feature several advanced safety technologies that are not currently fitted to the Discovery Sport. JLR updated other models to comply with the rules, but the Discovery Sport’s age and comparatively limited profit margins may have made further investment commercially difficult.

The Discovery Sport underwent a major update in 2019, receiving a new platform, redesigned interior and improved technology. While the changes helped the vehicle remain competitive, its age has increasingly become apparent as newer premium SUVs entered the market.

Its departure also raises questions about the future of the closely related Range Rover Evoque, which is manufactured alongside the Discovery Sport at JLR’s Halewood plant in Merseyside.

However, Range Rover Managing Director Martin Limpert indicated that there were no immediate plans to discontinue the Evoque. He said the company had recently refreshed the model and introduced special market editions for both the Evoque and Range Rover Velar to maintain their visibility and appeal.

JLR is currently concentrating much of its investment on renewing and electrifying its more profitable flagship vehicles. These include the upcoming Range Rover Electric, Range Rover Sport Electric and Range Rover GT.

The Range Rover GT will be the first model based on JLR’s new Electric Modular Architecture platform. The Discovery Sport’s retirement is expected to create production capacity for the new electric vehicle at Halewood.

The Evoque could remain in production until the expected arrival of the Land Rover Defender Sport. The upcoming model is anticipated to occupy a similar market position and could eventually replace both the Discovery Sport and Evoque, although JLR has not formally confirmed this strategy.

While the Discovery Sport’s production will officially conclude in December 2026, the timing of its withdrawal from the UK market remains uncertain because the European Union’s latest safety regulations are not mandatory there.

JLR is nevertheless expected to stop accepting new factory orders before production ends, with remaining customers likely to be offered vehicles from existing dealer stock.

The end of the Discovery Sport marks another major change in JLR’s product line-up as the British manufacturer shifts its focus towards electrification, higher-margin luxury vehicles and a new generation of premium SUVs.