Tata Motors to use Land Rover Discovery Sport platform for new SUV – report

The all-new Land Rover Discovery Sport could soon spawn a cut-price, Indian-made alternative, with reports from the subcontinent suggesting a new Tata Motors SUV is on its way.

Tata Motors is the parent company to British off-road specialist Land Rover, so the tie-up makes a lot of sense. A report from Autocar India claims work has already commenced on the new model, which is apparently codenamed Q501. As CarAdvice has previously reported, the Q501 could be a five-seater, while a seven-seat version is said to go by the name Q502.

The new model is reportedly set to use the basic structure and safety systems of the Land Rover Discovery Sport, though will bring with it a unique interior and exterior design, not to mention a more basic suspension system. It will likely also use different engines to the Land Rover model, with a Fiat-sourced diesel the most likely powertrain, according to the report.

Tata Motors products are imported to Australia by Fusion Automotive, and the company's chief, Darren Bowler, has been open with CarAdvice in the past about the potential for the Tata range to expand locally. Currently, only the Tata Xenon ute is sold here. Such an SUV could give the brand a rival to the Mahindra XUV500.

CarAdvice has contacted Fusion Automotive for comment on the news of a potential new SUV model for the Tata brand. The company has stated that its passenger-focused models will be made for global markets in the past.

The new Tata SUV could be on sale in some markets by the end of 2017.