Land Rover Discovery Sport

This is not the new Discovery but rather what Land Rover refers to as the Discovery Sport a smaller, more utilitarian offering aimed at those with active lifestyles and growing families. According to the engineers it’s basically the new Freelander but the LR designers reckon it’s a totally new machine. However you spin it, the Discovery Sport looks spectacular and complements the greater Land- and Range Rover model range superbly. Taking a large portion of its design direction from the Discovery Vision Concept the Sport is longer, lower and narrower than the Freelander. It combines a luxurious cabin with a stylish exterior while still managing to stay true to the firm’s ethos of innovation, sustainability, relevance and desirability.

As is the norm with contemporary LR products the Sport’s dramatic presence is undeniable. Twenty per cent of the body structure comprises high-strength boron steel which is more than any previous LR offering. Altogether the body is 22 kg lighter than the Freelander 2 and it shows in the performance and fuel efficiency claims, but more about that later. The front end adopts a very similar look to that of its sisters the Range Rover Sport and Evoque bold and expressive with wraparound head and tail lamps. A large portion of the DV Concept's styling cues are present from the clamshell bonnet and bulging arches to the characteristic lamp clusters and distinctive, floating C-pillar. All very attractive then but what’s it like inside?

Disco Sport's interior exudes the quality you’d expect from any LR product but as Gerry McGovern, Land Rover’s chief creative officer puts it, ‘The cabin is premium but not precious.’ Still that doesn't mean it's bereft of any sort of luxury in fact, it feels a definite step up from the Freelander. Does it compare to the Evoque? Well, there’s a definite sense of occasion but the surfaces and trim levels are
geared more for utility and naturally exude a robust and hard-wearing quality. Take the dashboard for example it’s not clad in double-stitched leather. Instead, it’s covered in soft touch trim that replicates that of a premium surface. Other noteworthy features include facelevel air vents located across all three rows as well as six USB ports. The compact nature of the Sport, highlighted in its profile, belies its spacious interior.

Despite it being 39mm shorter than its rival the Audi Q5 the stadium-like three-row seating can comfortably accommodate seven passengers, provided those in row three are gifted contortionists (legroom is rather limited). Still, while the two extra seats are of a fold out nature the fact remains that it’s the only vehicle in its class to offer this arrangement. To achieve this feat the Disco Sport employs a compact multi-link suspension set-up beneath the boot floor. There’s a pretty generous amount of luggage space on offer too, ranging from 479-689 litres with seats up and swelling to 1 698 litres with the seats down.

Refinement is another area to receive special attention. While we’re yet to sample these claims for ourselves, LR says the improved NVH levels comes compliments of an acoustic windscreen, new multi-link suspension and hydraulic bump stops on the front suspension. That said the vehicle’s aerodynamically honed  shape with optimised A and D pillars, door mirrors, exhaust shield, rear lamps, sills and tailgate has resulted in a drag coefficient of 0.36, an eight percent improvement over its predecessor.

The Disco combines a luxurious cabin with a stylish exterior while still managing to stay true to the firm’s ethos of innovation, sustainability, relevance and desirability

The Sport lives up to the Discovery part of its name with thanks to the company’s proven Haldex four wheel-drive arrangement and Terrain Response system that let the driver tailor the steering, throttle, gearbox and four-wheel drive according to the conditions. Together with this system, the Disco Sport boasts a class leading 600mm wading depth, 25 degree approach, 31 degree departure and 21 degree break over angles to go with 212 mm of ground clearance.

Judging by these aforementioned criterions it shouldn't be a slouch off road. Three familiar engine options will power the line up. These include a 177 kW/340 Nm 2.0-litre turbocharged petrol Si4 and a 2.2 litre turbo diesel available in both 110 kW/400 Nm TD4 and 140 kW/420 Nm SD4 formats. Petrol options will drive through a nine-speed auto while the diesels get the choice of a nine speed auto or six-speed manual. On paper, the pick of the range is the TD4 which offers a 0-100kph time of 10.3s, a top speed of 180 kph and a combined fuel consumption figure of 6.2ℓ/100 km at 159 g/km of C02. There’s a gamut of tech on offer, too.

This includes a new infotainment system replete with eight inch capacitive touchscreen, a forward-facing stereo camera to scan the road ahead, a head-up display and a premium Meridian audio system. Furthermore, a host of new in vehicle applications have been developed for passengers to pair their smartphones to the vehicle’s main hub enabling secure internet connectivity and seamless integration of apps. Some of the applications include such innovations as a vehicle tracking system and remote fuel level checker.

Overall, the LR Discovery Sport looks like a promising proposition, especially for those who have no qualms using it as an everyday and recreational workhorse. While we weren't able to drive any of the pre-production models at the reveal in Paris we can vouch for its perceived quality, visual appeal and interior packaging. If the current Land Rover line-up is anything to go by, we’re pretty sure it’s going to be a huge success and further bolster the brand’s resurgence under Tata ownership. While SA pricing is yet to be finalised it’s expected to be on par with the current Audi Q5 range.