Land Rover Discovery Sport

What is it?

The new Discovery Sport is designed as an entry into the Discovery family. It will replace the Freelander.

What does JLR have to say about the new Disco?

Rather than having a 4-seater coupé, they're often referred to as 2+2s. Land Rover has done the same here with its Discovery Sport, but as it's a 7-seater, it's referred to as a 5+2. Basically, the '+2' part of it means the 2 seats in the rear are very small, ideal for kids or adults on a short journey. Despite being a 7-seater, it's the size of a traditional 5-seat SUV, thus making the back seats tight.

It's a very safe car too, I'll have you know. Active Driveline switches "seamlessly" between 2 and 4 wheel drive for optimum grip and efficiency and you also get a Terrain Response® system and Wade Sensing™ technology. Autonomous Emergency Braking does as the name suggests, an helps avoid accidents.

But it's not just the driver and passengers who are safe. With a pedestrian airbag, even pedestrians are safer than before in the event of an accident.

As regards technology, there's an all-new 8" touchscreen infotainment display and a Head Up Display which gives you the driving data such as your speed on the windscreen. I love these systems, but for the technology side of things. Does it actually keep you safer? Well, who knows?

Engines

There'll only be three 4-cylinder engines available early on, and they are as follows:

• 2.2 litreSD4 Diesel
• 187 bhp
• 159-166 g/km CO2
• 44.8-46.3 mpg
• 2.2 litreTD4 Diesel
• 148 bhp
• 149-164 g/km CO2
• 45.5-49.6 g/km CO2
• 2.0 litreSi4 Petrol
• 237 bhp
• 191-197 g/km CO2
• 34.0-35.4 mpg

Since it's an SUV, I suppose there's some need of a mention towards the off-road ability. The approach angle to a hill is a respectable 25° with a departure angle of 31°, compared to the 32.2° and 36.2° approach angles and 26.7° and 29.6° departure angles of its bigger brother, the Discovery. All models are capable of wading in depths of up to 60cm / 24", compared with the Freelander 2's 50cm.

There are two gearboxes available. A slightly more efficient 6-speed manual 'box, or the smooth 9-speed auto. If you want a manual 'box, you'll have to stick to a diesel engine as you're stuck with the 9-speed auto only on the petrol.

Late Arrival

Later in 2015 we'll be seeing a "highly efficient" ED4 turbodiesel emitting just 119g/km of CO₂. The 119 figure is a manufacturer's estimate, so it might not be as efficient. Still good for a Land Rover anyway!

Tech Specs

JLR like their acronyms. As well as good MPG and low CO₂ with an AWD system, it has HDC, GRC RSC, DSC, ETC, EDC, AEB and EPAS! Yeah, that probably means more to you than it does to me. So let's analyse it

• HDC (Hill Descent Control®)  - When going down a steep hill in an off-road situation and engine braking isn't enough to hold you back, it'll apply the brakes accordingly to keep your speed down. It'll also select the right gear, and can be used in reverse.
• GRC (Gradient Release Control®) - Basically it'll ensure smooth hill starts.
• Wade Sensing™ - Using sensors in the wing mirrors, a diagram will show on the infotainment display showing how far up the car the water is, and a warning will sound when it gets too deep. It's better than judging by eye!
• RSC (Roll Stability Control) - It activates the anti-skid system when it detects an impending rollover, but it needs to be used on a flat surface. It doesn't work if you hit a curb or ditch or any other form of sudden or severe gradient.
• DSC (Dynamic Stability Control|) - Manipulating engine output and applying the brakes on individual wheels, it enhances the Disco's stability when accelerating or starting from a standstill and helps keep understeer and oversteer under control.
• ETC (Electronic Traction Control) - Helps prevent wheel spin by applying the brakes on individual wheels with the least grip.
• EDC (Engine Drag Torque Control) - Prevents your wheels locking on slippery surfaces if you take your foot off the accelerator suddenly or quickly downshift.

Other features include Autonomous Emergency Braking (AEB), Electric Power-Assisted Steering (EPAS), Park Assist, Automatic High-Beam Assist, Lane Departure Warning, Traffic Sign Recognition, Trailer Stability Assist, Tow Assist & Tow Hitch Assist, Blind-Spot Monitor & Closing Vehicle Sensing, Reverse Traffic Detection, HD Surround Camera System, HDD Satellite-Navigation System, Automatic Headlamps, Rain-Sensitive Wipers and Parking Sensors.

Some 8 acronyms later, we've come out the other side realising there's a lot of safety kit on the new 2015 Land Rover Discovery Sport! It shouldn't surprise you, then, that the new Disco got a full 5 star rating in the Euro NCAP crash safety tests.

As regards dimensions, the height is 1724mm, it's 2173mm wide, and 4589mm long with a wheelbase of 2741mm. Depending on your engine and gearbox selection, it'll weigh between 1744 and 1863km. JLR claims that it'll tow 2,200kg.

Pricing

Here's the cheapest price for the trim levels according to my research on the 04/01/2015.

• SE: £32,395
• SE Tech: £33,895
• HSE: £37,595
• HSE Luxury: £41,195

Standard Kit

On the SE model, expect:

• Partial leather seats
• Climate control
• Heated windscreen
• Cruise control
• Halogen headlights
• InControl™ Remote - "Check your fuel levels remotely, find your vehicle in a busy car park and even check that you haven’t left a window open – all through a handy smartphone app."

Upgrade to SE Tech for:

• Touchscreen navigation system
• Rain sensing windscreen wipers
• Automatic headlights
• Front parking sensors
• Powered tailgate
• Front fog lights

Included in the HSE trim are:

• Grained leather seats
• Panoramic sunroof
• Xenon headlights with LED signature
• Reversing camera
• Land Rover Audio with 11 speakers including subwoofer
• Keyless entry

And finally, HSE Luxury consists of:

• Windsor leather seats with ten-way memory adjustment
• Climate front seats with heated rear seats
• Heated leather steering wheel
• InControl™ apps
• Parallel / perpendicular Park Assist
• Illuminated aluminium treadplates
• Front and rear premium carpet mats

Options

A fixed panoramic roof with a black tint offers good sun protection yet allows light to flood into the cabin. For £950 it's yours. Upgrade to £1,450 to have the surrounds and pillars in Santorini Black or Corris Grey.

Privacy (tinted) glass in the rear is £350. But it does make reversing in the dark a bit of a challenge if you don't have a reversing camera.

There are various styling packs which add features which go with the name, such as the Outdoor Pack for £1,122 which gets the likes of side steps and mudflaps. Slightly cheaper at £788 is the Sporting Pack, or a bit more will get you the Touring Pack for £1,172.

An Entertainment Pack including Rear Seat Entertainment for a massive £4,000 gets you Meridian™ surround sound audio with 17 speakers, a television, a dual-view touchscreen, a hard disk navigation system and rear seat entertainment. I'm sorry, but this has won me over!

There are two park assists, one for parallel and one for parallel and perpendicular, costing £600 and £900. I know which one I'd go for.

And finally, instead of having to buy a car charger for your smartphone, use the USB cable provided when you bought it to plug into the car. Add two USB sockets to the middle row for £100, two to the 3rd row for £100, or 2 to both rows for, you guessed it, £200!

Comparisons

Some of its rivals are the Audi Q5, BMW X3, Volvo XC60, VW Tiguan, Lexus NX and Porsche Macan. They all start at £31,370, £31,165, £31,260, £21,960, £29,495 and £40,276 respectively. JLR's Discovery Sport sits well within the price range of its competitors giving it a healthy chance of great sales.

My Opinion

I like this car a lot.

• I like the way that it's a cheaper version of the Discovery, yet offers almost as much practicality with much, much better looks.
• It does resemble a Range Rover in a way, especially from the front, with 'Discovery' written across the front rather than 'Range Rover'.
• I like the fact that it's a 5+2-seater, it's great for those times that you have to ferry the kids around with their friends at football club! But you can get the Disco in a normal 5-seater, however I don't see the point. An extra pair of seats come in handy from time to time.
• The safety kit on the new Discovery Sport is incredible, it's certainly worth its money, which whilst we're on that subject, isn't too much.

Although I like the fact that it slightly resembles the Range Rover, it's not all good. Range Rover is a premium brand that attracts many buyers, but if the whole range starts resembling the RR then that special touch fades away and the RR just becomes a big LR.

My Car

Whilst trying to stick to a sensible budget, I specced my ideal car as follows:

• Land Rover Discovery Sport HSE - £37,595
• 2.2 litre SD4 Diesel Automatic (190PS) - £39,395
• 20" Five Split-Spoke 'Style 511' with Gloss Black Finish alloys (which requires a Fixed Panoramic Contrast Roof - Santorini Black) - £40,895
• Santorini Black - Metallic paint - £41,495
• Entertainment Pack including Rear Seat Entertainment - £45,495
• Park Assist - Parallel, Parking Exit & Perpendicular - £46,395
• Climate Front Seats and Heated Rear Seats - £47,195
• 2nd and 3rd row - 2x 2 USB ports with charging -£47,395
• Cirrus Grained Leather and electric seats - £47,395

Ok, it's just under £50,000, but it's an extremely well-equipped high-spec car that shouldn't depreciate massively if it follows its cousin - the Range Rover. Take a look at my ideal Discovery Sport here:

Click here