My first introduction to the Discovery brand of Land Rover was at the 1989 Dubai International Motor Show. There I was holding my father’s hand watching the new Land Rover Discovery showcase its capabilities. Those memories are still fresh in my mind. Now almost 2 decades later, I’m ‘Ready To Discover’ something new. Say hello to the Land Rover Discovery Sport. It is the first in line of new SUVs to wear the Discovery badge, and is also a replacement for the long running and capable Freelander 2. Thanks to the good blokes at Land Rover India, we got our hands on the range topping HSE Luxury diesel for this review. So is this the ideal Land Rover for you? Read on to find out.
I have grown up with the boxy styled Land Rovers as a kid (I still love those), so when the Evoque came out, I was as stunned with the design as was the rest of the world. The new design language carried forward to the bigger Range Rovers as well and now finds place with the Discovery Sport too. Straight up, the front end does resemble the Evoque but things change as you get closer. The headlamp design is very sleek with fantastic detailing. The LED day time running lamps have a very unique design. There is the prominent Land Rover grille along with a muscular bonnet featuring ‘DISCOVERY’ lettering. Slim fog lamps are integrated into the front bumper. The Discovery Sport has a nice side profile and reminds you a little of the Range Rover Sport. The C Pillar is quite thick and features a Land Rover badge. The HSE Luxury variant also gets a contrast roof.
The rear also shares Evoque design cues. The all LED tail lamps looks classy and we love the turn indicator design. The rear bumper features a black cladding and a silver skid plate. The boot lid also gets ‘DISCOVERY’ lettering. A roof spoiler and dual exhausts complete the rear end. Our test car came shod with 18 inch alloy wheels that are standard on the HSE Luxury. The lower variants get 17 inchers.
Step inside the Land Rover Discovery Sport and you are greeted with a simple yet functional interior. The dashboard looks similar to the other Land Rover models and feels built to last. It has soft touch materials and the brushed aluminium bits add a classy touch. The three spoke leather wrapped steering wheel also gets aluminium trims and comes with manual adjust for rake and reach. A set of paddle shifters are mounted behind the steering. There is an 8 inch touch screen for the new InControl infotainment system. The system is much easier to use than before, has a nice mix of colours on the home screen, but still isn’t the fastest around. There is also a delay when you try to adjust system volume via the steering wheel controls. The circular knobs for the dual zone climate control system have a nice finish. The buttons for the Terrain Response system are located below the AC knobs. The power window switches are mounted at a higher level than usual and can take some time to get used to. There are a few low quality plastic bits on the centre console and around the power window switches that are a downer in an otherwise well finished cabin.
Our test car came with tan upholstery which added a nice contrast to the interior of the car. The front seats are large and comfortable and come with good support. They come with 10 way electric adjust in the HSE Luxury with memory adjust. The HSE variant gets 8 way electric adjust while the Pure and SE variant get manually adjustable seats. There is also good travel for the seats, including height adjust that can be useful for short drivers. The rear seats are also comfortable and have a good recline angle, but a high transmission tunnel can make things uneasy for the third passenger. Land Rover offers an optional ‘5+2’ seating for the Discovery Sport. The third row seats come up directly from the floor and are not a place you would be comfortable in. The headrests of the third row have a very unique design too. However, the third row best suited for little kids and we would recommend you to skip this option and get the Discovery Sport in the five seat configuration only. However the third row does get AC vents and controls. There are a total of seven USB charging points in the Discovery Sport, one for each occupant. Also note that opting for the third row seating will give you only a space saver tyre while the five seaters get a full size spare wheel.
Other features on this HSE Luxury model include a panoramic sunroof, rear view camera with sensors, rear entertainment package and a nice sounding 17 speaker Meridian Surround Sound system. The HSE and HSE Luxury also get the Park Assist Parallel and Perpendicular feature. In this, the Discovery Sport will parallel or perpendicular park itself for you with the help of ultrasonic sensors. All you have to do is control the accelerator and brake. The steering is done by the car itself.
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