Review: Land Rover Discovery Sport
AFTER 17 years and almost a million sales it’s the end of the line for the highly popular Freelander.
Not only did Land rover’s baby 4x4 revolutionise the firm’s fortunes (it was europe’s best-selling off-roader for many years) it also attracted a different type of buyer through the doors.
But the car’s replacement this Discovery Sport, couldn’t arrive a moment too soon.
Despite various updates the Freelander has been feeling its age for some time and looks positively Jurassic next to the hugely likeable and smaller lifestyle-led range rover Evoque.
Having arrived in 2011 the Evoque remains as popular as ever, still boasting a six-month waiting list. But sharing space with it on the Halewood production line in Merseyside this new Discovery Sport is about to ensure that more than one successful small 4x4 can wear that Land rover badge.
Despite no owners having yet driven the new Sport or even having sat inside it Land rover is already sitting on a healthy 2,500 orders in the UK alone.
With the Halewood plant already working 24 hours a day to meet worldwide orders Land rover is about to have one of the nicest problems in the car industry: a waiting list for two of the hottest new cars in showrooms today. But this is just the start.
While the existing Discovery, which this year celebrates its 25th anniversary (watch this space for our exclusive anniversary special coming up), continues to be made at Solihull, Land rover will eventually expand the Discovery in the same way it has grown the range rover line-up in recent years.
Insiders won’t be drawn on official plans but don’t be too surprised to see a third Discovery-badged car in the coming years.
Whatever you feel about the Sport’s styling (it unquestionably looks better in the metal than in photographs) it definitely needs time to acclimatise to. It’s longer but lower than the Freelander and initially we weren’t convinced but it has grown on us.
Our only concern now is how well its looks will age, especially when the full-sized Discovery still looks so good.
What definitely can’t be argued against are its statistics.
Shorter than the Audi Q5, the BMW X3 and the Volvo XC60, the Sport is the smallest car in its class. It’s also the only seven-seater. OK, so Land rover calls it a 5+2 (the third row pair of seats being suitable only for those up to teenage years) but it’s ideal for families who don’t need something as large as the full-size Discovery.
There’s substance behind that style too. Safety features include a maximum five-star euro Ncap rating, a pedestrian airbag that deploys from the rear edge of the bonnet, autonomous emergency braking and as you’d expect a host of airbags for the occupants.
Land Rover Discovery Sport
Land Rover has given every consideration not only to what type of people are likely to buy this car but also how they use it
Initially the four-wheel drive Sport will have a 190bhp 2.2-litre turbo-diesel engine linked to a six-speed manual or a nine-speed automatic gearbox. Capable of the 0 to 60mph sprint in 8.4 seconds it has a top speed of 117mph while boasting 46.0mpg and 162g/km emissions, which aren’t too shabby for a large 4x4.
For those after something more frugal a 2.0-litre turbo-diesel with 150bhp and 119g/km emissions and offering two-wheel drive will join the range in the second half of 2015.
But because of the restrictions of the Sport’s platform there are no plans for a hybrid which is something of an oversight given the nature of the market.
On the road the nine-speed automatic gearbox is well matched to the 2.2-litre turbo-diesel with plenty of grunt and effortless cruising capability.
Engine and road noise are well insulated from the cabin while the ride is surprisingly comfortable with very little body roll through the corners.
Is it as dynamic as Land Rover would have us believe? We’ll have to wait until we drive the car on UK roads but our initial feelings are positive.
What is certainly beyond doubt is that the Discovery Sport makes the outgoing Freelander feel every year, month and week of its age.
It also feels a step up in terms of re?nement compared with the likes of the Audi Q5 or the BMW X3 (although neither of these cars are exactly in their ?rst ?ush of youth).
Of course the Discovery’s ace card is that it can venture further and deeper off-road than any of its rivals.
With a 600mm wading depth and a 2.5-tonne towing capacity, it’s the best off-roader in its class and will leave its rivals ?oundering if and when the going gets tough.
You can add to that a cabin which has been so well thought through by Land Rover engineers.
Yes, we wouldn’t have minded some slightly higher-end plastics on the central dashboard and across the transmission tunnel on a car that can cost beyond £40,000 but that’s the only point of serious criticism.
The seats are very comfortable and the Sport’s focus on versatility is all too obvious.
The middle row of seats can slide back and forth giving almost the same amount of legroom as a Range Rover as well as plenty of headroom.
There are USB sockets for all seven occupants (great for charging phones or tablets) and that central row of seats can be lowered via a button in the boot which at 1,698 litres is the biggest in its class.
As with the Sport’s bigger brother you feel that Land Rover has given every consideration not only to what type of people are likely to buy this car but also how they use it.
It might sound obvious but very few new cars even at this level will ?t their owner’s lifestyles as well as the Discovery Sport.
With a starting price of £32,395 the new Sport represents a hefty £4,500 jump from the outgoing entry-level Freelander but there’s little question that it’s worth it.
Interestingly three-quarters of those initial 2,500 UK orders are for the HSE and HSE Lux trim levels that don’t start until £37,595, so clearly price is not an over-riding factor with these early orders.
Crucially the Discovery Sport underlines how Land Rover is expanding its reach as well as its quality and re? nement to counter its premium rivals. It isn’t just one step ahead of the old Freelander, it’s from another planet.
If this is a sign of things to come for the new Discovery family we can’t wait for the next chapter.
