The very first production model of the Land Rover Discovery Sport has rolled out of the brand's Halewood plant in the United Kingdom.
The Discovery Sport is the first model to be produced out of the splintered-off Discovery family of vehicles. The vehicle has a 5+2 seating capacity within a footprint that's equivalent to that of existing five-seater premium SUVs, and it boasts Land Rover's class-leading capabilities.
The very first Discovery Sport unit, however, won't be turned over to a customer. Instead, it will be delivered to Virgin Galactic, the pioneering space-flight company which Land Rover partnered with early this year, to be used by the team as it prepares for the launch of the world's first commercial spaceline. The Discovery Sport is reportedly just one of a number of vehicles Land Rover is providing as part of an ongoing global partnership between the two 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," said Land Rover programs director Murray Dietsch. "We are now even more excited to hand the keys over to the crew at Virgin Galactic. 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."
