Land Rover celebrated the Middle East and North Africa (Mena) debut of its New Discovery Sport at an exclusive event last night in Dubai, UAE.

Since its worldwide debut at this year’s Paris Motor Show, the vehicle has been billed as one of the world’s most versatile and capable premium compact SUVs and is expected to receive an overwhelming response from Mena customers when it goes on sale in the region early next year.

The event was held at the Hamdan Sports Complex in the city, where more than 500 guests were treated to an exclusive unveiling of the first member of the new Discovery family.

Complete with live acts embodying the unique blend of refinement, performance and unmatched all-terrain capability that epitomises Land Rover vehicles, guests were welcomed with performances by BMX riders, Parkour groups and traditional Arabic drummers.

A fun interactive zone gave guests the chance to virtually test their capabilities against the new vehicle in specially created “capability pods”.  Choosing from mountain bike riding or sand boarding, competitors’ skills were pitched against the capabilities of the SUV on a variety of challenging terrains, amplifying the spirit of adventure that is integral to the Discovery family DNA. 

The Discovery Vision Concept was also on display, offering a further glimpse into the vision of Land Rover’s future family of Discovery vehicles.

The concept car, revealed earlier this year at the New York Motor Show, previews a dynamic new design language and an array of innovative versatility and capability features, whilst also showcasing pioneering technologies from Jaguar Land Rover’s advanced research division.

Bruce Robertson, Managing Director of Jaguar Land Rover Mena, said: “We are extremely proud to be revealing the new Discovery Sport in Dubai. This vehicle combines premium dynamic design and versatility which I am confident will resonate on an emotional level with our customers, and we expect this to deliver solid results when sales start early next year.”

Land Rover says that a host of innovations have allowed Discovery Sport to boast a progressive new design approach and introduce the versatility of 5+2 seating into the premium compact SUV class for the first time, in a seating no larger than existing 5-seat premium SUVs.

Coupled with supple long-travel suspension, the innovative rear axle also ensures the vehicle is comfortable and rewarding to drive on-road, while retaining the breadth of the all-terrain capability for which Land Rover is renowned, it says.

Safety has been a key priority in the development of the new Discovery Sport, resulting in a “first-in-class” pedestrian airbag, autonomous emergency braking, and a state-of-the-art bodyshell featuring both ultra-high-strength steel and lightweight aluminium, it adds.

The vehicle also has a head-up display, a new 8-inch touchscreen infotainment system, and tilt-and slide row-two seating.

The new Discovery Sport range of four-cylinder turbocharged petrol engines will be available across the region from early 2015 with prices starting from $43,288.