The all-new Land Rover Discovery Sport will be built at the Halewood plant in the United Kingdom, following an investment of more than £200 million (€249 million).
To support production of the new model, Jaguar Land Rover will add 250 new jobs. The additional jobs will see the Halewood workforce reach 4,750 – more than triple the number employed there in 2010.
The Halewood plant currently builds Jaguar Land Rover’s fastest selling model of all time, the Range Rover Evoque. With the £200 million investment for the production of the Discovery Sport, the total amount invested in Halewood over the last four years approaches £500 million (€624 million).
The new Land Rover Discovery Sport will go on sale in 2015 and will be “the most versatile and capable vehicle in the compact SUV segment,” according to the carmaker. The new SUV will be the first member of an all-new family of Discovery vehicles, inspired by the Discovery Vision Concept revealed earlier this year at the New York International Auto Show.
To support production of the Discovery Sport, the Halewood plant has been fitted with a £45 million state-of-the-art Aida servo press line in March, 260 new automated robots, laser welding facilities and a number of equipment monitoring and reporting systems.
“I am delighted that Halewood – and Liverpool – has been selected for this new investment. It is totally deserved, and strengthens the ‘special relationship’ that bonds Jaguar Land Rover to this great city,” said Jaguar Land Rover CEO, Dr. Ralf Speth.
By Dan Mihalascu
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