Jaguar Land Rover will end production of the Land Rover Discovery Sport in December 2026, marking the conclusion of an 11-year manufacturing run.
The decision is driven by new European Union safety mandates and declining global sales, according to a report by Autocar.
While UK customers can still configure the vehicle, order books have already closed in several European markets, including France, Germany, and Spain.
The phase-out aligns with the implementation of the EU's updated General Safety Regulation 2 (GSR2) standards, which the Discovery Sport currently does not meet.
Updating the entry-level model to comply with GSR2 was deemed financially unviable due to its long lifespan and slim profit margins.
A similar decision was made by Porsche, which is retiring its petrol-powered Macan this month.
A JLR spokesperson confirmed the timeline to Autocar, stating, "Discovery Sport production will end in December 2026, in line with normal product lifecycles.
As part of this transition there will be a managed sunset of manufacturing ahead of this date for certain markets."
From Bestseller to Slowest Seller
Launched in February 2015, the Discovery Sport was initially a major commercial success. It became JLR's top-selling vehicle in 2016 with over 122,000 units sold globally.
However, despite a substantial platform and interior overhaul in 2019, global sales dropped below 12,200 units in 2025, making it the manufacturer's slowest-selling model.
The retirement of the Discovery Sport raises questions about the future of the Range Rover Evoque, which shares the Halewood production facility in Merseyside.
Range Rover Managing Director Martin Limpert outlined JLR's recent focus on electric models and existing nameplates.
"We've had a big focus on launching Range Rover (Electric) and Range Rover Sport Electric, which was a big pivotal moment that we had to get over the line," Limpert said.
He added that updates to existing models remain ongoing alongside new platform development.
Industry reports suggest the Evoque may continue production until the Defender Sport arrives next year as a potential successor for both models.
Meanwhile, European premium automakers face broader market pressures, with Q2 sales drops between 24% and 37% reported across brands including BMW, Volvo, Porsche, Mercedes-Benz, and JLR amid rising competition in China.
