Latest Discovery Sport touches down
As a purveyor of premium SUVs, the recent spike in demand for cars with a lofty driving position must have had the folks at Land Rover excited, considering that SUVs are the only vehicles that they currently make.
That being said, specialising in something doesn’t guarantee sales success, good products do. The latest Discovery Sport is one of the products set to spearhead Land Rover’s recovery from a poor 2019 driven by a lack of volume in China and the rejection of diesel power plants in Europe, amongst other factors.
An epic opportunity
Autodealer editor Sean Nurse will be heading to the Western Cape for the start of the Absa Cape Epic in the coming week. Land Rover is a route and vehicle sponsor for the event and has offered him an opportunity to drive the new model throughout the upcoming weekend, which is a unique opportunity and will make for an interesting angle for the subsequent road test, coming to an Autodealer near you soon.
What’s new?
The previous Discovery Sport was launched in 2014 and became the spiritual successor to the Freelander, meaning that it served as a solid entry point into the brand for those now lured by the boutique nature of the Range Rover Evoque. Those expecting a massive aesthetic update will be disappointed as the new car is very evolutionary in its design approach, with new LED headlamps, a reshaped front bumper, updated grille, new alloy wheel designs as well as LED tail lamps and a new rear bumper.
The interior is where the most notable changes can be seen and indeed felt, according to Land Rover, with an emphasis on improved material quality and enhanced connectivity. The Land Rover Touch Pro infotainment system with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto is now standard and includes a rear-view camera while other niceties include adaptive cruise control, a wireless charging pad, new seats and Lane Keep Assist, to name a few. The car also benefits from the option of the quite frankly brilliant ClearSight Rear-View mirror which projects an HD video of what’s behind the vehicle into the rear-view mirror. The ClearSight Ground View is also available as an option and projects an image onto the infotainment screen, displaying a virtual 180-degree view beneath the vehicle.
The Sport offers an optional 5+2 seating configuration which also offers a flexible seating with 24 possible combinations while the second row offers a 40:20:40 split-fold and slide functionality. The latest model rides on the latest JLR PTA (Premium Transverse Architecture) which is a development of the previous D8 platform on which the outgoing model was based. The new body is some 13% stiffer than before which the brand claims improve refinement and safety.
Derivatives
At launch, the Discovery Sport is available in Base, S trim or sportier R-Dynamic variants in S, SE and HSE trim which are distinguishable by the Satin Dark Grey alloy wheels, sportier front and rear bumpers and Shadow Atlas script on the bonnet and tailgate. The interior of the higher-spec models gets black leather seats with contrast stitching, black gearshift paddles and treadplates.
Engine options and drivetrain
There are two engines available in the range, the first being the Ingenium 2.0 litre D180 turbodiesel which provides132kW and 430 N.m of torque providing a claimed combined fuel consumption of 5.8 L/100km and a 0-100km/h sprint time happen in 9.7 seconds. The second engine on offer is a 2.0-litre turbo petrol P250 with 184 kW and 365 Nm of torque, offering a 0-100km/ sprint time of 7.6 seconds and a top speed of 225 km/h while using a claimed 8.0 L/100km. The Sport now benefits from a larger 65-litre fuel tank for improved range. Both engines are mated to a nine-speed automatic gearbox which sends power to all four wheels. The four-wheel-drive system combined with a 211mm ground clearance, 600mm wading depth and the Terrain Response 2 should endow the Discovery Sport with a great deal of off-road ability.
Service plan and warranty
All Discovery Sport models come with a five-year/100 000km Care Plan which includes warranty and service plan.
Pricing
D180 AWD Automatic R749 500
D180 S AWD Automatic R795 500
D180 AWD R-Dynamic S Automatic R819 100
D180 AWD R-Dynamic SE Automatic R855 300
D180 AWD R-Dynamic HSE Automatic R897 800
P250 AWD Automatic R759 900
P250 S AWD Automatic R805 800
P250 AWD R-Dynamic S Automatic R829 500
P250 AWD R-Dynamic SE Automatic R865 700
P250 AWD R-Dynamic HSE Automatic R908 100
