As the baby in the Land Rover line-up, the Discovery Sport has had a key role to play for the historic British brand, ever since it first arrived on our roads way back in 2014. Sitting beneath the standard Discovery and the more off-road focused Defender, the model has long been pitched as a more accessible route into the world of Land Rover ownership. Given an extensive facelift in 2019, the car now competes in the highly congested mid-sized SUV market, which includes rivals like the BMW X3, Audi Q5, Volvo XC60 and Lexus NX. With so much competition, the Discovery Sport has always had to work hard to keep up the pace, but its excellent all-round package, which even includes a seven-seat option, means that it has always been a popular choice.
“The Land Rover Discovery Sport remains a well-rounded and likeable premium SUV that plays to the brand’s traditional strengths. It’s comfortable, capable and practical, with enough refinement to make it a convincing family car. While it no longer feels quite as fresh as some of its key rivals and can become expensive once options are added, its blend of usability, understated luxury and light off-road ability ensures it still has plenty of appeal.”
Jack is an experienced motoring journalist who has been covering the latest new-car releases for the last 10 years.
Read bioThe premium SUV space is certainly a lucrative one for carmakers and it is clear to see why when you take a look at the price tags associated with the Discovery Sport. A look at Land Rover’s online configurator tool shows prices for the most basic entry-level car starting at £45,440, which rises to around £60,000 for the most expensive versions of the range-topping ‘Metropolitan’ edition. Land Rover also offers an extensive – and pricey – list of optional extras, which have the potential to push the price up very quickly if you’re not careful. If that sounds like more than your budget can stretch to, then the used market could prove to be the answer, with second-hand versions of the Discovery Sport listed on AA Cars for as little as £6,000. While that may sound like a bargain, for that kind of money, you will be looking at older cars that have likely done more than 100,000 miles. However, with options available at pretty much all price points up to the £50,000 mark, there should be a Discovery Sport to fit most budgets.
The Discovery Sport is offered with a variety of petrol and diesel engines, as well as in a plug-in hybrid variant. Options include a choice of two 2.0-litre turbocharged 4-cylinder petrol engines, which produce either 200 bhp or 249 bhp, the quickest of which can reach 62 mph in just under eight seconds. Diesel options include a choice of 2.0-litre 4-cylinder units, with outputs of either 160 bhp or 201 bhp. Plug-in hybrid models see a 1.5-litre 3-cylinder turbo petrol engine powering the front wheels and a 108 bhp electric motor driving the rear axle. There is also a 15kWh lithium-ion battery located under the rear seats, all of which adds up to an electric-only range of up to 39 miles.
The first thing you notice when you get behind the wheel of the Discovery Sport is just how good the driving position is. The raised seat offers excellent visibility out onto the road, while light steering helps to improve manoeuvrability to a level that belies the car’s fairly hefty proportions. Around town, the Discovery Sport feels mostly comfortable and composed, with smooth power delivery contributing to a fairly relaxed experience, even in busy inner-city traffic, where you might expect the car’s SUV size to prove a headache. Elsewhere, when you leave town and head to the motorway, the Discovery Sport is able to settle into an easy rhythm as a long-distance cruiser. Wind and road noise are kept to a minimum and the soft suspension means that long journeys are completed without any discomfort for the car’s occupants. Despite being the smallest offering in the Land Rover range, the car does still enjoy some of the brand’s off-road heritage and is among the most capable cars in its class when things get boggy. Sure, it is never going to rival the rest of the Land Rover line-up for pure off-road ability, but for a family SUV, it is more than adept at handling most muddy, snowy or wet conditions, helped by Land Rover’s Terrain Response system.
There are plenty of premium SUVs that put a sporty edge at the heart of their offering, but – despite its name – the Discovery Sport is more focused on comfort than performance. The suspension is supple and forgiving, especially on higher spec cars which have the option of an adjustable system. While this is great most of the time, it does mean that when the road gets twisty, the Discovery Sport can feel a little floaty, wallowy and lacking in precision. Despite this, things never feel too out of control, and as long as you drive the car sensibly, there should be no major headaches.
The cabin of the Discovery Sport feels solid, well-thought-out, and above all – premium. There are none of the cheap scratchy plastics which sometimes find their way into cars of this type and all the materials feel soft-touch and premium. There are tasteful metallic accents for an extra touch of class and overall, everything feels well put together. Up front, the clean dashboard is dominated by Land Rover’s Pivi Pro infotainment system, which utilises an 11.4-inch floating touchscreen. There is also a handy 12.3-inch Interactive Driver Display which looks great and contributes to an extremely pleasant space overall. While the interior may lack the imagination of some of its more ‘out there’ rivals, the whole environment just reeks of class and sophistication – very much in keeping with the modern-day Land Rover brand.
While recent years have seen Land Rover move more and more into the luxury space, at its heart, the brand remains a functional and practical one. To that end, the Discovery Sport has a competitive 541 litres of space in five-seat mode, which is more than enough for family life, holidays and bulky shopping trips. While plumping for the optional third row of seats does inevitably eat into boot capacity, the fact they’re available at all is a big plus that is rarely seen in this segment. Inside the cabin, all passengers get plenty of head and legroom, with supportive and comfortable seats, and there are a good number of cubbies and cupholders dotted around for additional storage.
With an eye on the premium market, Land Rover has made sure that even the most basic Discovery Sport models get a good level of equipment. All cars get a digital driver display, LED headlights, dual-zone climate control and smartphone connectivity as standard, while higher trim levels add larger wheels, premium audio systems, a panoramic roof and a range of driver assistance features. While all this is great, one area where the Discovery Sport still falls slightly short is physical controls. While most key functions are easy enough to access, some climate settings are buried within the touchscreen, which can be distracting on the move.
The Discovery Sport is offered in several trims, including S, SE, HSE and Dynamic variants, each of which brings more equipment and more premium styling cues. For drivers who want the best blend of equipment without breaking the bank, HSE models represent the sweet spot in the range. Colour options include Fuji White, Santorini Black, Firenze Red, Varesine Blue, Ostuni Pearl White and Carpathian Grey.
Safety is one area where the Discovery Sport performs strongly. It achieved a five-star Euro NCAP rating and comes equipped with a comprehensive package of safety systems, including autonomous emergency braking, lane-keeping assist and traffic sign recognition. Reliability has historically been a mixed area for Land Rover, and although recent models have shown improvement, drivers should be aware that any issue could lead to a hefty bill.
The Discovery Sport’s efficiency varies significantly depending on which engine you choose. Land Rover claims that even the least fuel-thirsty petrol models will do a respectable 33 mpg, while the most efficient plug-in hybrid cars will return 217 mpg in official test conditions. While those numbers may seem impressive, it is worth noting that the result relied on the car using electric power only and stopping regularly to charge, which is unlikely to reflect real-world driving conditions. When it comes to tax, all new versions of the Discovery Sport are subject to the government’s Expensive Car Supplement, which costs an extra £425 a year for five years, applied from the second year of registration. Company car drivers will find the plug-in hybrid particularly appealing thanks to its lower Benefit-in-Kind rate.
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