Hardcore Land Rover Discovery SVX confirmed (again)

Jaguar Land Rover Special Vehicle Operations (SVO) is readying a more extreme version of the Discovery that will sacrifice on-road performance for off-road ability.

Called the Discovery SVX, according to John Edwards, the wilder SUV will sit between a Paris-Dakar racer and Camel Trophy-spec adventurer.

“I can’t tell you what the SV version of the Discovery will be like but, in my mind, it will be in between Paris Dakar and Camel Trophy. Somewhere in there is a product waiting to get out", he told British mag, Autoexpress.

It's not the first time SVO has publicly announced a Discovery SVX was in development, but the new announcement confirms it will be based on the latest Discovery 5.

Boosting its off-road ability will be a high-lift suspension kit, larger wheels and a standard-fit front winch.

Externally, to accommodate the wider tyres, the Disco will get bolt-on wheel arches while, underneath, there are armoured bash plates to protect the Discovery from sharp rocks.

Just one engine is expected to power the SVX - the most powerful 190kW/600Nm 3.0-litre V6 turbo-diesel that will be combined with an eight-speed auto.

Set to go on sale late 2017 or early 2018, the Discovery SVX could provide a stop-gap option for those demanding a tough, talented off-road replacement for the out-of-production Defender.

After the Discovery SVX's launch it's thought SVO will turn its attention to creating a high-performance halo, or SVR model, based on Jaguar's F-PACE.

“For Jaguar, the F-Pace is the only product that could work in the capability quadrant, but it could equally work anywhere [as an SVR or SVAutobiography] - I’ll say no more,” he told Autoexpress.