British Automaker Land Rover recently unveiled the new iteration of their popular Discovery Sport. Unlike the Land Rover Range Rover Sport that recently received engine updates only, the Discovery Sport has been completely overhauled. The SUV is reminiscent of what it is poised to replace, but just so. To think that updates are merely piece-meal is a fallacy, and we head on to explore why.

The first element is styling. While the shape remains approximately the same, there is extensive use of sharp lines and geometrical elements. The headlamps look more menacing due to the very Range Rover Velar like DRLs. The same goes for the geometrical aspects that accentuate the knife-like tail lamp profile. The front and rear bumper have been updated to include sharper contours. The overall lack of curved shapes has been fulfilled by the beautifully flared round wheel-arches that curve over and as one moves to the bottom, away and inwards from the wheels. In a world of caricature like cars, the wheels are a welcome change. They are just the right size for a vehicle having as much girth and comprise of five asymmetrical V shapes that culminate in the centre.

Moving on to the interiors, one is greeted by a not so showy, but an extremely functional and feature loaded interior. The Discovery Sport comes in 5+2 seating configurations, with the second row divided in a 40-20-40 ratio.

The instrument cluster is a 12.3-inch high definition full-colour screen. It is also possible to equip the car with a heads up display unit. Infotainment is delivered by a 10.25-inch touchscreen display and serves as the command centre for built-in artificial intelligence and machine learning utilities the car has to provide. Sitting below this screen is an interface for in-car climate control, but it can be configured to switch between various driving modes. The second row gets dedicated air conditioning, and 8 USB ports have been distributed throughout the car. Customers have an option of getting a wireless charging tray on the centre console.

The car comes loaded with both on and off the road assisting features. The Smart rearview mirror displays images from a rear camera on command, and is particularly helpful when the car is fully loaded, or operating in low light. Up front, a camera under the grille provides for ‘Invisible Bonnet’ capability, allowing the driver to see what is underneath.

There is a massive luggage space of 897 litres that can be increased to as much as 1794 litres by folding the second-row seats. The car now has a bigger fuel tank of 65 litres and can haul up to 2500 kg on a hook. Manoeuvring with payload in tow is further made more convenient by an optional Tow Assist.

Coming to the unsung hero of the new SUV, there is a myriad of updates in terms of the underpinnings. The car sits on the Range Rover Evoque’s Premium Transverse Architecture that is stiffer and stronger than the outgoing D8 platform, making it safer for all-terrain use. It is now electrified with a 48 V battery pack that improves efficiency with brake energy regeneration. This is made possible by employing an engine mounted belt-integrated starter generator. While this mild hybrid variant is up for sale now, a plug-in hybrid will follow suit soon.

The car has both petrol and diesel engine options. The entry-level model is driven by a 150 hp/380 Nm torque diesel engine that comes mated to a 6-speed automatic transmission. This is the only variant with no electrification and power going to front wheels only. All other variants are all-wheel drive 9-speed automatics with mild hybrid support. Amongst them are a 200 hp petrol and two diesel engines making 180 and 240 hp each. However, the highest performing engine is a 250 hp/365 Nm setup that enables a sprint from naught to 96 kmph in 7.1s.

 

The car is a capable off-roader with ground clearances of 212mm, 25-degree approach, 20-degree break-over and 30-degree departure angles. The car sits on coil springs on all its fours and comes with adaptive damping to ensure a smooth riding experience.

As is the case with other Land Rovers, the Discovery Sport shall be available in 3 trims, namely the S, SE and HSE trims along with an R-Dynamic version that has additional design elements. We expect the car to be launched in India soon.