This is the Discovery Sport, the latest all-new model to wear the Land Rover badge. You can think of it as a Freelander replacement, but it adopts the Discovery badge which denotes it as a ‘leisure vehicle’ according to the press pack. With the Range Rover badge reserved for luxury products, it’s less glamorous than an Evoque, but Land Rover says this is a car designed for life, and to that end it’s more practical and even has seven seats as standard. That’s a trick which separates it from the likes of the Audi Q5, BMW X3 and Volvo XC60, and as we all know, Land Rover’s also have to be capable of extraordinary things off road, even if most of us count mounting a kerb as pretty extreme. So, what’s this new Landie like on and off the road, and are those rear seats worth their salt? Let’s find out.
The new underpinnings of the Sport make it just 8cm longer than the Evoque, but a taller roofline and clever packaging means it feels much more spacious inside, particularly for rear passengers. In the front seats, the dashboard and buttons are a bit more workmanlike than that car, but still stand up well to its rivals and you certainly feel like your money has been well spent. We like the new infotainment system, which is much improved, with clearer graphics, less confusing menus and a quick response when typing or navigating options. It’s fitted as standard too, although you’ll need this SE Tech trim level or above to unlock the sat-nav. There’s an impressive level of safety kit included too, with autonomous emergency braking at speeds below 50mph and even a pedestrian airbag. As I mentioned, rear headroom shouldn’t be a problem, and if I hop out, you can see these rear seats easily slide back and forth as well as reclining. Land Rover calls this car a 5+2, because although the rear seats are well designed chairs, they aren’t really suitable for adults for anything beyond a short journey in a pinch. With 981 litres of space in five-seater mode, the Sport has plenty of luggage room, and it grows futher to 1,698 litres with the all rear seats stowed away.
With all seven seats raised there’s only space for a few soft bags, but as they are intended for occasional use, this shouldn’t be too much of an issue. So, that’s enough information, what’s it like to drive? Well, actually, it’s very good. I can still remember the car sick-inducing old 4x4’s my dad used to drive, but things have come a long way, and the smallest Discovery handles like a tall saloon car. There’s just a slight feeling of the Sport leaning into a bend, but then it takes a broad shouldered stance and feels extremely stable and planted. The steering has just the right amount of weight too. If we’re being picky, this handling ability does mean the suspension is fairly firm, and it picks out some bumps, mainly at lower speeds, but this is still a comfortable car on the whole. At the moment it’s available with just one engine, a 2.2-litre diesel with 188bhp and either the six-speed manual fitted here, or a nine-speed automatic. It’s punchy enough, but a new Ingenium 2.0-litre diesel is on its way which should be worth the wait.
We’re expecting it to be more refined, but the main news is a boost in economy from 46mpg to almost 58mpg, with a significant cut in CO2 emissions. But, that’s only part of the story. Every Land Rover has to be great off-road, so let’s see how it gets on We put the Sport through its paces at the small but technical Land Rover Experience Halewood, just a stone’s throw from the production line where it was put together. In normal driving most power is sent to the front wheels, but torque can be shuffled to wherever it’s needed, as gut-wrenching obstacles like the toblerone and this axle twister are designed to demonstrate. It’s always amazing what a Land Rover can do off road, even on road tyres, but the fact I’d been using the same car for commuting to work and a trip to North Wales, just showed its breadth of abilities away from the organised routes of a car launch. If the Discovery Sport can’t get you where you need to go, you must lead a pretty extreme lifestyle.
Land Rover is on a roll at the moment, and if the number of Discovery Sports spilling out of the Halewood plant is anything to go by, this model is already a hit. It is surprisingly practical for its size, has peerless off-road pedigree and judging by people’s reactions during our week with the car, it’s very desirable. For now, its thirsty engine is its weakness, but with the Ingenium diesel now available to order, we can’t wait to see if it makes the Sport a resounding class leader. Can you see yourself in a Land Rover Discovery Sport?
Land Rover Discovery Sport Car Auto Review
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