2015 Land Rover Discovery Sport
America gets reintroduced to one of Range Rover’s top sellers
Late last century, Land Rover brought the successful Discovery model to these shores. And while it sold well, its abysmal record for reliability resulted in a significantly improved model reintroduced into the U.S. in 2005 as the LR3. Now that a decade has passed, the company feels confident enough with the Discovery nomenclature to revive it across a lineup of midlevel vehicles starting with the Discovery Sport.
As in the Range Rover lineup, Sport denotes the smaller, less expensive model; it is expected that the LR4’s replacement will carry the name Discovery. The Sport uses the current, more aero-friendly styling that Rovers have moved towards in an effort to improve fuel economy, but the Discovery Sport has little of the presence of its siblings.
Inside the Discovery Sport things are better, with most all materials being of high quality. The aesthetic is also clean and contemporary. Although the InControl infotainment system’s eight-inch touchscreen presents a bit of an ergonomic challenge to reach, it is intuitive and fast. The Sport features an available third row that is kid-friendly and doesn’t eat into the copious cargo room when folded flat. The front chairs rank amongst the most comfortable Jaguar Land Rover makes, and the middle row affords copious space that’s easily accessed through large door apertures.
The Discovery Sport boasts a truly excellent dynamic balance, as it uses a modified Evoque platform. In the case of the Land Rover, the sportscar-like balance has been dialed down somewhat, with more emphasis put on smothering rough roads—which the Land Rover does superbly—while still leaving excellent, direct steering to command a chassis that is tied down and fun to fling through corners. Brake feel and modulation are also first-rate.
The Disco also shares the Evoque’s powertrain. While the 2-liter turbo’s 240hp/250lb-ft stats are more than competitive, the turbo boost doesn’t come fast enough when leaving a stop and then ramps up too quickly and the nine-speed automatic doesn’t shift as smoothly as LR’s eight speed units. Soon the company’s very own, all new Ingenium engine and superior powertrain software integration will unlock even more of the Discovery Sport’s inherent potential.
Even as it is, the Discovery Sport is an excellent alternative to other small- to mid-sized luxury crossovers: it has real off-road ability, its ride/handling balance is excellent, and the availability of three row seating increases its utility quotient for families. The Sport also gets good economy numbers, with a real-world 22.5mpg and 0-60mph available in the mid-7s. As Land Rover fleshes out its lineup, this kind of Disco deserves a listen.
2015 Land Rover Discovery Sport
EPA ratings: 20/26mpg; 22mpg combined
Price as tested: $48,920
