Land Rover Discovery Sport
BUYERS GUIDE – WAGONS MEDIUM
Land Rover revealed the new Discovery Sport in 2015 – the first member of the new Discovery family – and billed it as ‘the world’s most versatile premium compact SUV’.
The Freelander replacement Discovery Sport combined 5+2 seating in a compact footprint. At 4590mm long, but on a generous wheelbase of 2741mm, Discovery Sport was 239mm shorter than the seven-seat Land Rover Discovery.
A suite of Land Rover innovations made their debut, including the next generation integral multi-link rear axle, advanced pedestrian airbag technology, an all-new touchscreen infotainment system and state-of-the-art, high-strength steel and lightweight aluminium body shell.
The first Australian deliveries were in early 2015, in both 5-seat and 5+2 layouts. Powertrain choices were the 2.0l SI4 petrol engine with automatic transmission and the 2.2l TD4 and SD4, with both manual and automatic transmissions.
Land Rover’s Terrain Response system featured up to five settings: General; Grass/Gravel/Snow; Mud and Ruts; and Sand. Discovery Sport’s full suite of all-terrain technologies included: Hill Descent Control® (HDC); Gradient Release Control (GRC); Wade Sensing; Roll Stability Control (RSC); Dynamic Stability Control (DSC); Electronic Traction Control (ETC) and Engine Drag torque Control (EDC).
The Land Rover Freelander had a loyal band of followers, so we were quick to evaluate its successor.
On and off road in 2015
Our test vehicle wasn’t the one we originally requested, but some incompetent magazine people had bogged our vehicle and then damaged it when extracting it. As a result, we were given a top-shelf HSE version, complete with every available option and 19-inch wheels. Our preference was a lower-spec model, fitted with 17-inchers.
However, the up-spec model proved much more capable off road than we expected.
On road, the Discovery Sport’s 140kW diesel and nine-speed auto box provided smooth, seamless power and torque. The machine is rated to tow 2.2 tonnes and should do it with ease.
Ride and handling were a cut above the outgoing Freelander 2’s levels and electronically-assisted traction on loose surfaces was excellent. Electric power steering was brilliant and we liked the lane-change warning that vibrated the steering wheel if lane marking was transgressed, without prior blinker activation.
The seats and steering column multi-adjusted, so getting comfortable was easy. In-cabin noise was low, although the engine’s diesel rattle was noticeable from the outside at idle revs.
The Disco Sport is right at the top of SUV on-road behaviour.
We expected excellent formed-surface behaviour from the Disco Sport, but we were also pleasantly surprised by its off-road capability, even on road-oriented wheels and tyres. It went where most owners won’t dare venture.
Fuel consumption on-road at half load averaged an excellent 7.0L/100km.
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2016 updates
In 2016 came the next-generation 2.0-litre Ingenium four-cylinder turbo-diesel and turbo-petrol engines
The Discovery Sport’s EU6-compliant Ingenium diesel engine had two power outputs – 150PS and 180PS – delivering claimed fuel economy of up to 4.9l/100km.
Petrol derivatives used an all-alloy Si4 2.0-litre engine with 240PS.
All engine derivatives could be specified with an advanced ZF 9HP48 nine-speed automatic transmission and a six-speed manual M66 gearbox was available for diesel models.
The capability of the Discovery Sport was heightened by the introduction of All Terrain Progress Control (ATPC) for 2016. ATPC enabled drivers to set and maintain a steady speed in off-road conditions, between 2km/h and 30km/h.
ATPC also featured a dedicated Launch feature, allowing the vehicle to pull away smoothly and easily, even on low-friction surfaces, such as ice, snow and wet grass.
The 2016 Discovery Sport featured an infotainment system with eight-inch touchscreen. Available driver-assistance technologies included: 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 and Tow Hitch Assist; Blind-Spot Monitor and Closing Vehicle Sensing; Reverse Traffic Detection; HD Surround Camera System; HDD satellite-navigation system; Automatic headlamps; Rain-sensitive wipers and Parking sensors.
A Head Up Display (HUD) debuted on the 2016 Land Rover Discovery Sport. This advanced laser technology projected key driving data, including road speed, gear position and satellite-navigation directions onto a compact area of the windscreen in the driver’s line of sight.
A new feature called Gesture Tailgate provided the user with the ability to open and close the powered tailgate by means of a kick gesture, enabling the user hands-free access to the load space.
A selection of four trim levels was available: S, SE, HSE and HSE Luxury. From SE specification, the second-row seating was offered with tilt-and-slide functionality, and was individually adjustable with a 60:40 split. This enables row-two occupants to recline their seats or slide them forwards or back by a class-leading 160mm. It also provided as much as 112mm of knee-room and 1011mm of leg-room – almost as accommodating as a Range Rover. Alternatively, load capacity could be increased as desired from 829 litres to as much as 981 litres with row-two seats in place.
2019 updates
The 2019 updates included 48-volt MHEV, three-cylinder PHEV or three- and four-cylinder Ingenium petrol and diesel engines. The interior was given 5+2 seating enhanced with 40:20:40 second row seats.
ClearSight Ground View turned the bonnet invisible, while
a high-definition rear-view mirror transformed rear visibility.
Off road prowess was improved by Terrain Response 2 technology and Touch Pro infotainment with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, wireless charging and 4G WiFi hotspot were introduced.
2022 updates
Next-generation Ingenium diesel engines featured mild-hybrid technology, available with D165 (163PS) or D200 (204PS) outputs.
Inside, Land Rover’s most advanced system, Pivi and PiviPro was available and Spotify integrated directly within the infotainment menu. Bluetooth connectivity handled two phones at once and there was wireless charging with signal-boosting option.
Dual-modem embedded SIM allowed scheduled vehicle software updates with no need to visit a dealer.
Other 2021 upgrades included a 3D Surround Camera and Rear Traffic and Rear Collision Monitors.
2023 updates
The redesigned cabin featured an 11.4-inch curved glass Pivi Pro touchscreen with intuitive controls.
Plug-in electric hybrid and mild hybrid options were available, with the P300e offering WLTP-certified electric range of up to 61km. Standard DC rapid-charging technology could charge the 14.9kWh battery of the P300e plug-in electric hybrid from 0-80 percent in as little as 30 minutes, Land Rover claimed.
The Discovery Sport camera technologies were expanded to include ClearSight Ground View and Rear View, plus 3D Surround.
2025 mid-year upgrades
Every mid-2025 Discovery Sport featured a digital instrument cluster and steering wheel-mounted gearshift paddles; centre console 11.4-inch curved glass touchscreen; Pivi Pro infotainment with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.
The Discovery Sport Metropolitan emulated its bigger Discovery Metropolitan sibling with interior and exterior design cues, plus 20‑inch multi-spoke alloy wheels, optionally available with a Gloss Black finish.
Inside were Windsor Leather, 14-way electrically adjustable heated and cooled seats; a 650W 14-speaker Meridian surround sound system; Clearsight digital rear view mirror and Cabin Air Purification Plus.
The Discovery Sport Landmark featured a mountain range logo that was first seen on the original 1989 Discovery. It has slide and recline functionality for the second row seats; a panoramic roof ; Click & Go media holders and a Surround View Camera.
An expanded selection of curated accessory packs included Beach Days, Road Trip and Snow Days, joining existing Biking Adventures and For Dogs packs.
The Beach Days pack included a centre armrest cooler; tailored sunshades and a collapsible organiser for the load area.
The Road Trip pack included Click & Go media holders for rear seat occupants and cross bars and a roof box.
With Snow Days, up to four pairs of skis or two snowboards could be transported o the roof and rubber floor mats were fitted over the carpet.
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