Jaguar Land Rover’s Special Vehicle Operations (SVO) division is planning a radical new version of the Discovery that will be focused on all-out off-road performance, Auto Express understands.
Speaking to us at the 2017 Geneva Motor Show, SVO boss John Edwards said “I can’t tell you what the SV version of the Discovery will be like but in my mind it will be in between Paris Dakar and Camel Trophy. Somewhere in there is a product waiting to get out.”
Expect lots of extra body cladding, spotlights, chunky off-road tyres and a reworked chassis for the best possible off-road capability. There’s no official word on the name yet, but we have reported previously that SVX will be used for the off-road-focused models.
It’s likely to be based on the top-spec 3.0-litre TDV6 model, although it’s possible the 254bhp V6 diesel would get a power and torque boost for better pulling power. The interior is also likely to get an upgrade, with supportive seats and harnesses to help with driving at steep angles.
There’s no word yet on when the new model will appear, but Edwards did also tell us that “We plan to introduce a new halo product every year for the next three or four years,” hinting that the Discovery SVX could appear later in 2017 or in 2018.
Many models in the JLR range are yet to get an SVO variant, and Edwards was also keen on working with the top-selling F-Pace SUV. “For Jaguar, the F-Pace is the only product that could work in the capability quadrant, but it could equally work anywhere [as an SVR or SVAutobiography] - I’ll say no more,” he told us.
Would you like to see a rough-and-ready Disco? Let us know in the comments...