Remember the TGV12 Sport Train from Top Gear S17E04? Yes, the one Jeremy Clarkson tows with the help of a mighty Jaaaag. Well, the peeps at Land Rover were inspired by that ambitious but rubbish feat to do a bit of towing of their own.
When it was introduced in 2014, the Discovery Sport didn’t crank the SUV game all the way up to 11. As the successor of the Land Rover Freelander 2, the Discovery Sport had only one thing to do. The thing to do is to be the most affordable model in the Land Rover lineup. Be that as it may, did you know that the entry-level Discovery Sport (2.0 eD4 150 PS 6MT 4x2 Pure) is just an idea more expensive than the Range Rover Evoque (2.0 eD4 150 PS 5MT 4x2 Pure)?
All in all, we forgive the confusing pricing practices of Land Rover because the Discovery Sport is miles better and eons ahead of the Freelander 2 it replaces. The 2.0-liter turbo diesel from the Ingenium engine family isn’t too bad either, especially in 180 PS (177 horsepower) form. When we’ve tested it, the Discovery Sport with the Ingenium diesel surprised us with its broad torque band, as well as its quietness.
Thing is, we weren’t expecting to see a Discovery Sport with an oil-burning four-banger tow three train carriages weighing more than 100 metric tons (220,462 pounds). To put that figure into perspective, the maximum take-off weight of a Boeing 757-200 (PW2037 and RB211-535E4 models) stands at 99.8 metric tons (220,000 pounds). More impressively, the Landie towed the huge-ass train over 10 km (6.2 miles).
All in all, it’s pretty impressive to see an SUV pull 60 times its own weight. For prospective customers who are keen on towing from Point A to Point B then back, it’s a reassuring thing to know that the Discovery Sport can surpass its certified maximum towing weight rating of 2,500 kilograms or 5,511 pounds.
Karl Richards, the lead engineer for stability control systems at Jaguar Land Rover, agrees: “I’ve spent most of my career traveling to the most punishing parts of the world to test Land Rovers in grueling conditions, yet this is the most extreme towing test I’ve ever done.” Press play and see the incredible feat for yourself.
Editor’s note: Ass is not a swear word if you refer to a donkey.
After a 1:43 scale model of a Ferrari 250 GTO sparked Mircea's interest for cars when he was a kid, an early internship at Top Gear sealed his career path. He's most interested in muscle cars and American trucks, but he takes a passing interest in quirky kei cars as well. Full profile
Would you like AUTOEVOLUTION to send you notifications?
Google News