JLR cancels the Land Rover Discovery SVX production

KUALA LUMPUR: JLR (Jaguar Land Rover) has confirmed that the production of the Land Rover Discovery SVX is aborted. As per the previous plans, the SUV was supposed to go on production by the end of 2018, and launch soon after.

The off-roader SUV, Land Rover Discovery SVX was first showcased at the 2017 Frankfurt Motor Show. It flaunted a 5.0-litre supercharged V8 engine, which can belt out around 525 PS of power and 625 Nm of peak torque. The engine was paired to an eight-speed automatic transmission.

However, the manufacturer doesn't have a plan to terminate the SVX badge. The Discovery has already seen a unique version by the company’s Special Vehicles Operations (SVO) division. Called the Red Cross Discovery, it is an emergency response vehicle that was previewed by Project Hero and showcased in 2017.

The Discovery SVX came with an active centre differential, long-travel dampers, a twin-speed transfer box, and an electronic rear locking differential. These features ensure that the SUV can be driven off the road as well. JLR has not revealed the main reason behind the abortion of the Discovery SVX program.

It has been a lousy month for Jaguar Land Rover as the manufacturer reported its worst quarterly loss ever. In the last quarter of 2018, JLR reported a loss of £3.4 billion (approx. RM 18 billion). According to the reports, it requires around US$1 billion (approx. RM 4 billion) within a year and two months to replace the maturing bonds and ensure smooth operation of its electric vehicle department.