It is always very difficult to replace something that is already good, and make it better, but that’s just what Land Rover has attempted to do.
It is always very difficult to replace something that is already good, and make it better, but that’s just what Land Rover has attempted to do. The Land Rover Freelander has been among the best-selling models from the British carmaker for a long time. Introduced in 1997, these SUVs have sold in handsome numbers until now, when they have been replaced by the Land Rover Discovery Sport introduced globally in 2015. Land Rover has not wasted any further time in getting its latest SUV, the Discovery Sport, to the Indian market. We drive this very practical and handsome-looking, most awaited model of recent times, which is now built in India. Read on to get all the details about our exclusive road test review.
Land Rover Discovery Sport Exteriors:
The Land Rover Discovery Sport stands at 4600mm in length, has a width of 2173mm and a height of 1724mm. With 2741mm of wheelbase, the Discovery Sport demands a lot of attention and has tremendous road presence. Though it reminds you a lot of the Range Rover Evoque, the similarities in appearance end with the face. Yes, both the Evoque and the Discovery Sport, share the same platform too. The face gets the striking clamshell bonnet with ‘DISCOVERY’ written smartly in bold on it. Noteworthy here is that other models get the ‘LAND ROVER’ badging on the bonnet. So it’s the different badging that makes the Discovery stand out from the others. You have the double stage, Land Rover honeycomb mesh style grille in silver with the family Land Rover reflective oval badge on it. High mounted bumpers come with neatly integrated in-body flushed headlights. These have a catchy design with the round day-time running lights, while the bumpers get slim rectangular LED fog lamps in white glow. The front bumper gets some extra styling with the wide, blacked-out air dams and a silver finish skid plate integrated into it.
The side profile on the Discovery Sport is mostly flat, except for a sharp body line that runs across, mating the front fenders and the tail light across the door handles. The fenders get unpainted plastic cladding that comes handy while off-roading, as it acts as protection. They also get a mock air intake with black inserts placed on them. 235/60 R18 Pirelli Scorpion Verde tubeless tyres come mounted on split-spoke (9 spoke) silver alloys. The roofline slopes down towards the rear. The glass area is large and the windows come with blacked-out frames. The large rear quarter glass has a sharp angular shape to it. A neat reflective Land Rover oval logo is placed on the C-pillar. The D-pillar gets a glossy black body cladding that fuses the quarter glass and the rear windshield, giving a clean, round finish to the edges.
The back looks prominent with the ‘DISCOVERY’ badging and the rear windshield that is placed at an angle. The flushed tail lamps get neat and stylish, round LED stop-glow with multi reflector turn and reverse lights. A black body insert runs across horizontally just below the DISCOVERY badging, giving a strong design element to the boot lid and also making the vehicle look broader. The rear bumper gets black unpainted cladding and a silver skid plate, along with twin round exhausts in chrome on either sides. Strip reflectors are placed on the middle of the rear bumper.
The Land Rover Discovery Sport HSE TD4 that we drove, comes with an all-glass, panoramic roof; this is a single piece, fixed glass roof that cannot be opened. A large rear spoiler placed on the rear windshield looks neat and makes the Discovery Sport appear longer than actually it is. Overall the exteriors of the Discovery Sport look nicely done, the vehicle demanding attention and deserving it too. The look and appearance is not very loud but at the same time, is very practical. Build quality is very good and so is the paint and finish.
Land Rover Discovery Sport Interiors:
The cabin on the Discovery Sport is again well laid-out and practical. The interiors do remind you of the interiors of other models, but then, it’s keeping in synergy with the Land Rover look. The dash comes in an all-black layout with metal inserts around the AC vents, centre-dash etc. The three spoke-steering too, comes with metal inserts and all the multi-function buttons on it. You also have the option of paddle shifters on the Discovery Sport. The steering can be adjusted manually for height and reach. The instrument cluster gets a twin pod design with a largish MFD screen in between these dials. You can toggle between different vehicle parameters on this MFD display. The speedo and RPM needle is in white and the markings behind the speed and RPM digits get a crystal-like, white sparkling glow on them.
The centre dash console comes with an 8-inch colour touchscreen display, that doubles up as the entertainment screen, GPS navigation display and reverse camera display accordingly. Noteworthy here is that the Discovery Sport gets the latest generation all new InControl UI operating system for the unit. We found this new system very easy to use. The display is bright and easy to read and can be viewed in sunlight. The system also features real-time centre differential and steering input info displayed on it. The centre dash gets thick aluminium strip inserts that flow on the sides, making it look tough and rugged. You get a dual zone climate control with AC vents in the front and rear. The climate control operates using the neat-looking, round rotary dials and also displays the temperature on the LCD placed in them.
Just under the climate control are the well-known Land Rover Terrain Response System control buttons. You also have an Eco mode button placed next to these. The centre console get the traditional motorised rotary drive shifter, as seen on all Jaguar and Land Rover cars. Generous use of real metal inserts in the cabin, gives a very good and sporty feel in here.Bottle holders and storage bins are neatly spread across the cabin and that also includes ample storage space under the centre armrest, which also houses the USB ports on the inside. The Discovery Sport gets all black leather upholstery, but you also have the option of getting a beige upholstery with a dual-coloured dash to go with it.
The driver’s seat comes with full electrical settings for reach, height, incline etc. Front seating is very comfortable and offers good under thigh support. The rear seats come with 40:60 split options. Lumbar support adjust is also available on the front seats. They also get three adjustable head rests and a foldable centre armrest. These seats offer excellent comfort and have loads of leg room. Three adults can be comfortably seated here with decent shoulder-room and good headroom. The rear AC vents are placed on the pillars, but we feel, ventilation can improve.
The boot area is a mammoth 981-litres, which can be further increased to literally a football field-sized 1698-litres by folding down the rear seats. There also is a 5+2 seat Discovery Sport variant available with two seats mounted in the boot area (thanks to the adoption of a compact multi-link rear suspension layout, engineers have managed to create space for a third row of seats). We will be reviewing that version soon. The one piece glass roof helps in getting in some extra light, making the cabin looking even larger. The build quality is good and the use of plastic, leather and switchgear ooze premiumness. Use of metal inserts on door pads and dash make you feel this cabin is built to last you for a lifetime. The Land Rover Discovery Sport feels a lot more upmarket and premium than the outgoing Freelander 2 and rightly so.
Land Rover Discovery Sport Engine, Gearbox and Suspension:
The Discovery Sport shares the engine technicalities with the Evoque. The engine on this one remains the same as the one on the Freelander 2. This is a 2.2-litre, 4-cylinder diesel engine that is available in two states of tune. You get the Discovery Sport with 147bhp (400nm) and the 5+2 version with 187bhp (420nm) of tune on it. This 2179cc oil burner is mated to an all new 9-speed ZF automatic transmission.
We drove the 5-seater TD4 version of the Discovery Sport. This one’s very nicely balanced, with excellent drivability for city conditions and highway runs alike. You can let the engine go on its own in the normal drive mode. If you’re looking for some more fun, then we advise you to shift to the Sport mode. That’s when Land Rover wants you to have some more fun with the paddle shifters. You can play along with the nine gears you have on this car. Noteworthy here is that the Discovery Sport drove in a super calm manner, even at 100 kmph and in the 9th gear.
In busy traffic city runs the ZF transmission intelligently toggles up and down, giving you just the right shift at the right speed. On the highways this same transmission goes into a different mode altogether, giving it super slick shifts and keeping the power band just there when needed. The suspension feels and works really well. We did some good highway runs and off-road drives too and the suspension felt like butter. The cabin damping is good and refinement levels are decent.
Take the Discovery Sport for off-roading, and it is here that it feels completely at home. You have the legendary Land Rover Terrain Response system to bail you out of any off-road situation that you may land into. The intelligent Terrain Response System helps you glide over tarmac, gravel, sand or snow with a touch of the button. Then you have the Hill Descent Control to make things easier along with Adaptive Dynamics and MagnaRide.
This is not an SUV for outright performance; you get a neatly balanced power drive with superb ride quality. There’s a firm edge to the suspension at low speeds, but the new multi-link rear axle comes into its own the faster you go, and most bumps and potholes are effortlessly smoothed out eventually. The Discovery Sport feels agile and alert through a series of corners. The steering is extremely sharp and direct, allowing the Land Rover to dive through bends with a car-like eagerness. And while there’s not much in the way of feedback, the electrically assisted set-up is precise and excellently weighted. Combined with the high-set driving position and excellent visibility, it allows you to place the Discovery with confidence. The All Wheel Drive system on the Discovery excels itself and enhances the feel of confidence while driving over wet and slippery conditions. Let us add here that the Discovery Sport comes with an impressive wading depth of 600mm and a good ground clearance of 212mm.
Land Rover Discovery Sport Verdict:
The Discovery Sport comes to India at just the right time, having all that one aspires from a Premium SUV. It is larger and wider than the outgoing Freelander 2. The Discovery Sport feels a lot more premium to be in and to drive too. You get two engine tune options to choose from. The intelligent 9-speed ZF transmission is a sure winner on this one. Drive it all week as your daily use car and on the weekend when you just need a dash of more fun you can take this SUV off-roading. This one won’t fail you a bit with its intelligence in taking good care of you over there. You may have other options to choose from, but let’s not forget that this one is a ‘Land Rover’. Prices for the Land Rover Discovery Sport start at Rs. 46.10 lakhs to Rs. 53.30 lakhs for the 147BHP model, while the more powerful 187BHP version comes in at Rs. 62.18 lakhs (All prices Ex-showroom, Mumbai).
Land Rover Discovery Sport Pics Gallery:
Pics – Ritesh Madhok
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