Land Rover has built the first series production Discovery Sport at the Halewood plant and has given it to global partner Virgin Galactic to support its operations base.
The car will be used at Virgin Galactic’s UK headquarters by the team which prepares for the launch of the world’s first commercial spaceline. During a ceremony at Land Rover’s Halewood plant, the first ever Discovery Sport production vehicle was handed over to Stephen Attenborough, Commercial Director of Virgin Galactic.
The Discovery Sport is one of a number of vehicles Land Rover is providing to Virgin Galactic as part of an ongoing global partnership between the British brands.
“It fills me with pride to have seen the first new Discovery Sport coming off the line here at our world-class Halewood production facility. The new car embodies Land Rover’s spirit of Above and Beyond, so it’s fitting that it will be used by a similarly pioneering company in Virgin Galactic,” said Murray Dietsch, Director of Land Rover Programmes.
Over the last four years, the Halewood plant, which already builds the Range Rover Evoque, has seen investment more than double and workforce triple with 4,750 people now working at the site. The Discovery Sport has also positively impacted the UK supply chain with £3.5 billion ($5.63 billion) in contracts having been awarded to 55 suppliers.
The Discovery Sport offers standard 5+2 seating and is offered with a 240hp 2.0-liter turbo gasoline engine in the United States. In the UK and other European markets, Land Rover offers a 187hp (190PS) 2.2-liter turbo diesel available exclusively with all-wheel drive, and either a 9-speed automatic or a 6-speed manual. Later in the year, a two wheel drive eD4 turbo diesel with CO2 emissions as low as 119g/km will be added.
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