Tata Motor’s new Q501 SUV will be the flagship model, based on Land Rover Discovery Sport platform.
A member from The Automotive India has spotted a mysterious Land Rover Discovery Sport which temporary plates in Pune which is also the home ground of Tata Motors.
The mystery is the Discovery Sport was spotted with steel wheels and single exhaust.
Now there are numerous questions which arise in one’s mind.
- Is this the new Q501 SUV being tested using Land Rover Discovery Sport’s clothes?
- Is this a low cost version of the Land Rover Discovery Sport?
- Or is Land Rover testing a low specked diesel engine for emerging markets?
According to the member the vehicle is most likely an early prototype of Tata Motor’s new Q501 SUV which also shares its platform with the Discovery Sport. The Q501 will share the floor pan and structural components with the Discovery Sport and will feature Impact design with focus on Premium styling.
However Tata Motors will use a Fiat 2.0-liter MultiJet II diesel engine which will also be shared with the Jeep Compass SUV. The engine will be mated to a 6 speed manual and 6 speed automatic transmissions.
Land Rover will be helping Tata Motors to fine tune the vehicle and will also feature an AWD system with a Terrain Response program from Land Rover.
The new flagship SUV will most likely be showcased at the 2018 Auto Expo in Delhi. The new SUV will be positioned above the recently launched Hexa and will compete with the likes of Hyundai Tucson, Mahindra Rexton, Base models of Toyota Fortuner and Ford Endeavour in terms of pricing.
The SUV will most likely be launched in 2018 and will be sold as a global SUV. Tata Motors may launch the new Global SUV in markets like South Africa, Australia, Vietnam, Indonesia, Thailand, Nepal, Sri Lanka and Latin America.
