2015 Land Rover Discovery Sport Review

The current comeback is based on the money of Indian conglomerate Tata. The SUV manufacturer has been thriving with the power of rupees and therefore decided to extend its product portfolio and store it into three pillars: luxury (Range Rover), leisure (Discovery) and dual-purpose (Defender).

The launch of the family- and leisure-oriented cars is now starting with the Land Rover Discovery Sport. Read on for our impressions on the all new seven-seater all the way from Salzburg, deep in the snow.

We’re still having some problems getting used to the new model line-up. The fact of the matter is, the Discovery Sport does not replace the towering 2.7 ton Discovery of old and adds a suffix. Instead, it replaces the Freelander one of the core products of Land Rover.

In order to be well prepared to fight the other seven-seat competitors from Nissan (X-Trail), Mitsubishi (Outlander) and Kia (Sorento), as well as the German top dogs X3, GLK and Q5, Land Rover got rid of the Freelander's rustic appearance by using the design cues taken straight off the Range Rover Evoque.

The Discovery Sport is also sharing the platform and powertrain choices of its little brother. Even more interesting is that the Discovery is not only evidently more spacious than an Evoque, but the basic version is also cheaper both in Europe and the US.

While the difference is just around €1,000 in the EU, across the pond, in the States, it goes up to over $4,000 for the base models. Talk about charging for style...

There are a few mishaps for the launch of the new Discovery Sport and they refer to the engines. In the UK you can only get 2.2-liter 4-cylinder turbodiesels that are hooked up to 4WD systems. You can either go for a manual 6-speed gearbox or a brand new 9-speed automatic that is supposed to be frugal.

On the other hand, the rest of the EU is down to older engines, the TD4 range to be more precise. Furthermore, you’re limited to a manual gearbox if you want front-wheel drive alone. For AWD you get to choose between manual and the new slush box.

In the US, all you get is petrol and the only engine choice is a new 2-liter 4-cylinder Ingenium unit making 240 HP and 350 Nm (250 lb-ft) of torque. You’re also limited to a 9-speed auto and all-wheel drive.

Unfortunately, the base 2-liter ED4 is not available at market launch in Europe in combination with the all-wheel drive transmission. Furthermore, you also can’t get the new 9-speed automatic gearbox for it, being limited to a manual gearbox if you really want the 2-liter mill.

With the 150PS basic TD4 coupled to the 6-speed manual transmission, the Discovery Sport does not move like you would expect judging by its designation. Even the firm suspension and the pleasant, precise steering do not help.

The development of the promised 400 Nm (295 lb-ft) of torque is simply not sufficient to do a crisp passing maneuver in the 1.8 ton SUV on a mountain road, even if you are driving alone. If you travel often with your family and friends on all seven seats, you should opt for the more powerful 190HP SD4 choice.

In this case, the added horsepower and torque levels do not immediately translate into lower mpg ratings. In fact, due to the low torque interval, the gearbox will allow you to shift earlier, therefore reducing fuel consumption by a small margin. Therefore, during our slow crawl through the snowy mountains of Austria we came out with an average fuel consumption of less than 8 l/100 km (29.4 mpg).

When it comes to the aforementioned 2-liter 4-cylinder turbocharged Si4 engine, things get a little rougher, unexpectedly. The character of this little motor, designed and built by Ford, are far away from Audi‘s and BMW’s choices in terms of NVH and really can't be recommended.

With the the SD4 under the bonnet, traveling in the Discovery Sport is - when you are not in a hurry - in fact extremely comfortable, especially on the well-contoured seats of the first row.

The second row can't offer that same luxurious feeling. Although the space is generous - thanks to the new compact multi-link rear axle – the three passengers are sitting in a strange upright position and the rear seats‘ adjustable length and inclination angle cannot compensate this disadvantage.

Still, there are plenty of outlets and an optional media entertainment package that might keep rebellious children quiet on longer journeys. The two third-row seats look even more uncomfortable and we admit that we did not try them out because they are only suited for very little (and younger) passengers.

If you fold those rearmost seats down and leave them stowed in the floor, there are up to 981 liters (34.6 cu. ft.) of cargo volume. This should be enough to make a trip to a remote, inaccessible region, with all necessary utensils possible since there are only few barriers known for this SUV. It seems like the Discovery Sport, with its length of 4,590 mm (180.7 inches), is the type of car that has more space inside than its visual appearance would suggest.

The English seven-seater can be combined with four trim levels: S, SE, HSE and HSE Luxury (may differ in certain countries). All versions are well equipped, with partial leather and heated seats, radio, Bluetooth connection and automatic climate control included as standard. Full leather, up to 20 inch wheels, a high-end audio system, panoramic roof, powered tailgate and many more are optional.

Indeed, the Discovery Sport’s price list is long and you can easily end up with a €60,000 price tag on your configuration. The cabin is not only spacious but also finished with almost German-standard materials.

Unfortunately, the positive picture is clouded by a mediocre infotainment system. That is surprising, because the Discovery Sport is the first vehicle to use Jaguar Land Rover's brand-new entertainment system with the brand's InControl apps and an 8” touch screen. Even so, it takes only a few taps on the screen to realize that the software is slow and the whole unit does not offer a clear and intuitive way to manage the navigation system, to pair a smartphone or to search for, choose and save your favorite radio station.

The Discovery Sport passed the Euro NCAP crash test with five stars. A real highlight in the comprehensive list of safety features is the pedestrian airbag. This system protects pedestrians from impact with the base of the windscreen by using an airbag mounted at the trailing edge of the bonnet panel.

And of course, the Discovery Sport can also show the company's best side and core business: off-roading. It is always astonishing how impressive the cars from Warwick are when away from paved roads. Although this new model has not inherited the martial all-wheel drive system with a center differential from his great Discovery predecessor, the crossover comes with a standard Haldex system or an optional "Active Drive Line" version that has a rear axle differential with clutch controlled force distribution.

No matter what you choose, these two modern 4WD systems are making this middle-class SUV almost as off-road capable as its venerable ancestor, the Defender. And if necessary, even surprisingly dynamic. A torque vectoring system and preselectable force distribution give sports-minded fathers the possibility to bring their families to a ski lift with an impressive drift on snow covered surfaces.

This isn’t a must, but a question arises: how often do you really need four-wheel drive? And the answer is rarely, because almost all soft-roaders will never go off-road. The most difficult terrain the majority of these cars will take under their wheels is a gravel car-park or a snowy & icy road.

It's not only the 4-wheel-drive that is making the Discovery Sport so attractive, but the whole SUV phenomenon: a high seating position combined with the possibility of showing off a rolling fortress against traffic density and increasing aggression in road traffic.

From this point of view, Land Rover hits home with its Discovery Sport, because they created a comfy and ensuring crossover that is practical and pleasant to drive. With its inherited DNA the new SUV will likely set the brand on the path to a higher level of success.