FORECOURT
Under the bonnet
LAND ROVER DISCOVERY SPORT P300e THE KNOWLEDGE
Discovery Sport P300e R-Dynamic SE Price (as tested): £53,780 Engine: 1.5-litre turbocharged petrolelectric motor Power (combined): 304bhp Torque (combined): 540Nm Max speed: 130mph O-60mph: 6.5 seconds MPG (combined): 175.5 Emissions: 36g/km CO2
The 1.5-litre turbocharged petrol and electric motor produces a combined 304bhp.
Jon Reay discovers if an electrified powertrain suits the nature of the Discovery Sport. WHAT IS IT? The Discovery Sport P300e is a PHEV version of Land Rover’s compact SUV. But does it make more sense than a standard petrol or diesel version? WHAT’S NEW? There’s not much to differentiate it from any other Discovery Sport, except of course an extra flap on the rear wing to hide its charge port. Slotting the battery under the boot floor means the P300e misses out on the Sport’s standard third-row seats too – making this a strict five-seater. WHAT’S UNDER THE BONNET? In typical PHEV fashion, you get a downsized engine paired with a small battery and electric motor. In the case of the Discovery Sport, it’s a 197bhp three-cylinder 1.5-litre petrol driving the front wheels, and a 107bhp electric motor driving the rears. To power said electric motor, Land Rover has squeezed in a 15kWh battery, giving a range of (in theory) 34 miles on electricity alone. Curiously for a Land Rover, these two motors effectively work independently of one another. There are a few benefits to this kind of setup of course – not least efficiency – but it’s worth remembering that when the Sport is operating in electric mode, it’s effectively rear-wheel-drive only. WHAT’S IT LIKE TO DRIVE? If you’re wincing at the thought of a car as large and expensive as this being propelled by a three-cylinder engine, fear not – the turbocharged 1.5 actually fits the Discovery Sport rather well. Most of the time it goes about its business without too much aural intrusion, and even under load it sounds quite pleasing and throaty. As with most PHEVs though, there are a few operational quirks. For example, on multiple occasions we set off with a full battery only to find the petrol engine running regardless and the dash display stating ‘EV Mode Unavailable’. The culprit, as far as we could work out, was having the climate control switched on. Not the end of the world, but frustrating if you’re hoping to regularly use the Discovery Sport on electric-only mode for short journeys such as school runs and shopping trips. HOW DOES IT LOOK? The neater headlights give the front end a more aggressive look than previously, but on the whole it’s a similar visual to before. Think evolution, not revolution. Opt for the R-Dynamic
30 | CarDealerMag.co.uk
