Land Rover Discovery Sport 2014 price & release date

New baby Land Rover called Discovery Sport will replace Freelander, due to be revealed later in 2014

The all-new Land Rover Discovery Sport will join brand's new family of cars under the Discovery name, following the car's announcement at the New York Motor Show 2014.

The styling for the Land Rover Discovery Sport has not been revealed yet, just the name - but the Land Rover Discovery Vision Concept, also revealed in New York, gives us an idea of how the new model will look.

Gerry McGovern, Land Rover Design Director and Chief Creative Officer, said: “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."

You can also click on the gallery above to see our exclusive preview image of how the car could look - but we now expect it to resemble the concept car rather than the Freelander that it replaces.

The car will be available as a five-seater, but a stretched-wheelbase 5+2 version will also be offered. Yet while the bodywork, interior, engines and badge will be new, the underpinnings will be carried over from the current Freelander.

New Land Rover Discovery Sport price & release date

A full production debut for the car is penned in for the Paris Motor Show 2014, with a release date likely to be in 2015.

When the new car hits dealers, it will be more affordable than theRange Rover Evoque, which costs from nearly £30,000. The Freelander replacing baby Discovery should start at around £25,000.

Baby Land Rover Discovery spy shots & video

This is our latest look at the new baby Land Rover Discovery (see the pictures in our gallery above). Although heavily disguised, the video and images show the car in near-production trim testing on public roads. It's clear the replacement for the Freelander will be significantly larger than its predecessor and take most of its styling cues from the Range Rover Evoque, with raked back headlights and sculpted flanks.

Two versions will be available from launch, a standard five-seat model and a stretched version, which will offer and additional third row of seating.

Although heavily camouflaged, the front end clearly displays some of the brand DNA from the Evoque, with a large set of headlights that sit flush with the bonnet line, a wide square grille below the front bumper and a high sided design that sits lower to the road than the current model.

At the back the extra glass area does make the L550 seem heavier in profile, but a source told Auto Express that this would be 'A seriously desirable car in its own right.' Gerry McGovern, design boss for Land Rover, has said that this car would be 'sexier' and 'more appealing' than before but without taking too much from its Range Rover siblings.

Under the bonnet, the Baby Discovery will use the new range of Hot Fire 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder petrol and diesel engines, which are due to be built at a new engine facility in Wolverhampton. These engines will also power the new Jaguar compact saloon, and can be equipped with either two or four-wheel drive, these should help the newcomer significantly iimprove its economy and CO2 emissions, and make it competitive with cars like the BMW X3 and Audi Q5.

Land Rover Discovery range rethink

Image credit: Tom Levitt

The radical rethink is part of Land Rover’s long-term strategy to divide its products into three distinct ‘pillars’. The ‘luxury’ pillar already contains the three Range Rover models; it will be rounded off by the luxurious Range Rover Ultimate, plus the long-wheelbase Range Rover.

The ‘dual purpose’ pillar will contain the new Defender family. This leaves the Discovery and its new baby brother to fill the ‘leisure’ pillar – hence the Discovery lettering on the nose, which takes cues from the 2014 model.