Land Rover Discovery Sport to Be Discontinued as Production Ends in December

Discovery Sport sales have fallen sharply in recent years. Global sales topped 122,000 units in 2016 but dropped to about 12,000 vehicles by the end of 2025. Demand fell another 49.3% in the most recent quarter to 2,452 units. That was the weakest result in the Land Rover lineup. Even the aging Discovery outsold it with 2,561 units, while the Range Rover Velar reached 4,605 units. By comparison, the closely related Range Rover Evoque attracted 10,615 buyers. 

One of the main reasons for the model's discontinuation is the new European GSR2 safety regulations, which took effect on July 7. Under the new rules, all new vehicles sold in the European Union must be equipped with an advanced driver distraction warning system and enhanced automatic emergency braking with pedestrian and cyclist detection. The Discovery Sport does not meet those requirements, and upgrading its aging platform was deemed economically impractical. Orders for the model have already been halted in most European countries, including France, Germany, and Spain.

There is no official replacement for the Discovery Sport yet. Its role will most likely be filled by the compact Defender Sport, which is expected to debut next year. The future of the entire Discovery family, including the larger Discovery, also remains uncertain. The company is considering discontinuing the lineup altogether.

Despite earlier speculation, the Range Rover Evoque will remain in production.

The Discovery Sport debuted in 2014, replacing the Freelander 2. At the time, $256 million was invested in preparing the model for production at the company's Halewood plant.