New Land Rover Discovery Sport

First Drive - New Land Rover Discovery Sport

What is it?

Along with the Evoque, the Discovery Sport has become Land Rover’s best selling vehicle, and 5 years after its launch it makes sense to give it an update. It may look similar to the outgoing model on the outside, albeit with a new crisp, clean look, but just like the new Evoque, it’s been given an all-new platform.

Built on Land Rover’s latest Premium Transverse Architecture (PTA), the new Discovery Sport is 13% stiffer than the outgoing model and designed with electrification in mind. More specifically, it allows allows for the introduction of new 48-volt mild hybrid electric powertrains, and sometime soon, a plug-in hybrid.

With all that in mind, what’s like on the road?

On the road

I remember driving the original Discovery Sport a year after it was first released, and it was a nice SUV to drive. I’m not going to say that it set my life alight, but it was good.

Getting behind the wheel of the new version is a whole different story, it felt more dynamic, more alive and more fun, even as a passenger I could feel the difference. Our car for the day was the D180 SE, and along winding the roads of North Yorkshire

,the 180ps diesel was nippy and very responsive though lacked a bit of umph during fast overtaking manoeuvres. There are of course more sportier versions available, but I feel it’s aimed more at comfort and touring rather than winning races.

Another point to mention is how quiet it is, not just wind and external noises, but road noise too, quite impressive really.

Off road

After a good 2 hour drive around North Yorkshire we made our way to the Land Rover Experience Centre just outside Skipton where we would take the same ‘Sport around their demanding off road course.

I was very impressed, it wasn’t just a dirt track with the odd puddle and a slight gradient to tackle, it was pretty hardcore. On one of the particularly wet and rocky inclines I watched as the ‘Sport in front of us lifted a wheel in the air as the driver gave it some welly. My turn next and I ignored the instructors command of ‘give it a little momentum’, instead I crawled up the steep incline expecting the ‘Sport to hesitate and struggle. It didn’t. In fact I didn’t even feel the wheel lift in the air, the Discovery Sport didn’t even flinch, it was all very civilised.

Although it wasn’t fitted to our particular model, another clever addition is Ground View, it’s a concept that Land Rover first previewed in back 2014, but back then it was known as invisible bonnet. Basically, cameras on the front bumper collect the view as you drive forward and it them on the touchscreen, it’s like driving without an engine and bonnet so you are able to see

exactly what’s in between both front wheels. Again, very clever stuff.

It’s worth mentioning that the new Discovery Sport has a wading depth of 600mm, that beats the old Defender which was a mere 500mm.

Interior

Quiet, practical and comfortable are all words you expect from a family SUV, and that’s what the new Discovery Sport gives you, and it feels well screwed together, too

Up front you have a whole new facia and infotainment system with redesigned, well, pretty much everything really. JLR’s latest ‘Touch Pro’ media system is huge improvement on older setups and it now comes with smartphone link up, wireless charging and 4G hotspots.

There’s a new 12” TFT dial display which offers the ability to stretch the map over the entire width of the screen, if you find choose. In the back you’ll find that it’s much roomier, and with 40:20:40 split second row seats that slide back and forth, second row passengers can now enjoy nearly 1 metre of legroom. Of course, third row passengers are reserved for younger and smaller people.

Land Rover says the seats now have 24 different configurations, and the boot extends from 1,179 litres to 1,794 litres with the second-row seats folded flat. Oh yeah, Second and third-row passengers can even have their own climate controls.

Engines ’n’ transmissions

The ‘Sport comes with a range of 4-cylinder Ingenium petrol and diesel engines, the mild hybrid delivers CO2 emissions from as low as 144g/km CO2 (NEDC equivalent) and fuel economy up to 40.9mpg (WLTP figures). An even more efficient plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV) variant will also join the range later in 2019.

Unsurprisingly the most efficient Discovery Sport model will be the front wheel drive 148bhp diesel with manual transmission which offers emissions from as low as 140g/km of CO2 and fuel economy from 47.8mpg. To maximise efficiency, all-wheel drive models benefit from Driveline Disconnect – a Power Transfer

Unit at the front axle that disconnects drive to the rear wheels under steady state cruising, reducing frictional losses and reengaging AWD in less than 500 milliseconds.

Conclusion

The new Discovery Sport is head and shoulders above the outgoing model, from its new classy interior to an engaging drive and host of standard safety features that include Lane Keep Assist, Autonomous Emergency Braking and Driver Condition Monitor.

It’s as capable off-road as any Land Rover should be and very comfortable on it which I believe keeps it at the top of its class.

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