We Hear: Land Rover Discovery SVX to Showcase SVO Off-Road Mods

Land Rover is reportedly developing a special version of its upcoming Discovery SUV, but it won’t be anything like the speedy, track-tuned Range Rover Sport SVR.

High-performance Jaguar Land Rover models have come courtesy of the Special Vehicle Operations (SVO) division, and Autocar reports SVO wants to go in a different direction with the Discovery. Instead of a go-fast SVR model (like the Range Rover Sport SVR and Jaguar F-Type SVR), SVO is planning to unveil a Discovery SVX, a model focused on go-anywhere, off-road capabilities.

In an interview with Autocar, SVO boss John Edwards said, “Land rover is all about bandwidth. We have taken the opportunity with the Sport SVR to go right, and SVX gives us a chance to go left.”

Edwards didn’t provide any hints about what the SVX model could feature, but Autocar speculates it could debut some of the technological bits found on the Discovery Vision concept. One feature from that concept included an augmented-reality windshield that provided an unimpeded view of obstacles by making the hood appear “invisible.” The Discovery SVX would likely get hardware upgrades as well, including beefier wheels and a lifted suspension setup.

Edwards told Autocar the SVX may be harder to justify to the bean counters than the SVR, but said “from an emotional perspective it is pressing that we do an SVX.”

With the standard Discovery set to debut later this year, the report suggests a Discovery SVX could come 12 to 18 months later. The Discovery SVX could also lay the groundwork for the next-generation Defender, which is expected to be the most off-road-capable family of Land Rover vehicles when it debuts in 2018.

Source: Autocar

The post We Hear: Land Rover Discovery SVX to Showcase SVO Off-Road Mods appeared first on Motor Trend.

from Motor Trend http://ift.tt/1Si5fDa