Land Rover To Discontinue Discovery Sport In December 2026

Land Rover will discontinue the Discovery Sport in December 2026, ending the SUV's 11 year production journey. The company confirmed the decision as part of the model's planned lifecycle. Production has already started winding down across several European markets.

Factory orders have stopped in France, Germany, and Spain. However, customers in some markets can still configure the SUV while remaining production slots last.

The Discovery Sport first arrived in 2015 as the replacement for the Freelander. It quickly became one of Land Rover's biggest global success stories. In 2016, it emerged as JLR's best selling model with more than 122,000 units sold worldwide.

Sales Declined After Strong Early Success

The SUV received a major facelift in 2020. The update introduced a revised platform, refreshed styling, and a more premium cabin. Despite these improvements, customer demand gradually declined over the following years.

In 2025, Discovery Sport sales fell to less than one tenth of its 2016 peak. It became JLR's lowest selling model during the year. The larger Land Rover Discovery has also witnessed declining demand and could face a similar future.

According to JLR, the decision reflects changing customer preferences and the product's natural lifecycle. The company is now focusing on newer electric and premium models.

New Safety Rules Influenced The Decision

Another important reason behind the SUV's retirement is the European Union's updated General Safety Regulation 2 rules. These regulations require additional safety technologies on new vehicles.

The ageing Discovery Sport lacks several mandatory systems required under the latest regulations. Updating the platform would have required significant investment. Reports suggest that such an upgrade was not commercially viable. Porsche recently adopted a similar strategy by ending production of the petrol Macan instead of redesigning it for compliance.

Evoque Continues While EV Plans Move Ahead

The Discovery Sport shares its production facility with the Range Rover Evoque at JLR's Halewood plant. However, JLR has confirmed that the Evoque will continue in production. The company also plans to support the Velar with updates and special editions. JLR believes both SUVs still enjoy strong customer demand.

The Discovery Sport's exit will create production capacity for the upcoming Range Rover GT. This all electric grand tourer will be based on JLR's new EMA platform. JLR has not confirmed a direct replacement for the Discovery Sport. However, the upcoming Defender Sport could eventually expand the brand's SUV lineup in the coming years.