2015 Land Rover Discovery Sport preview
Back in 1997 Land Rover decided that it needed to offer a car that was a little bit more than just a rugged 4x4. They already had the Defender which has been around for many years and the Range Rover that’s more luxurious and finally the Discovery which sat comfortably between the two. This is where the Freelander come into play. However, from 2015 the Freelander name will be no more and that’s where the Land Rover Discovery Sport comes in.
The Discovery Sport represents quite a big change for Land Rover in that it’s a seven-seater car whereas the Freelander was a five-seater. In order to squeeze those extra two seats in Land Rover have had to make this car a little bit longer. However, it’s only 90 millimetres longer then the Freelander was so although there’s that extra space it’s actually still smaller than all of the Discovery Sport’s five-seater rivals.
Land Rover calls the seating layout a five+2 arrangement which basically means it’s not really a full size seven-seater. However, they have worked very hard to make it as flexible as possible. For example, the seats in the middle slide as much as 160 millimetres giving the passenger between, not much legroom, and as much as you’d find in a Range Rover. If you move the seats all the way forward you can just about get into the third row. Once you’re positioned back there and the seat in front is not slid all the way back then you’ve certainly got enough legroom for an adult. The headroom is a little bit tight so we believe that these seats will only be used for occasional use. However, Land Rover is going to make it a little more comfortable by offering an option which means that you get air conditioning and charging sockets back here as well.
The Discovery Sport will go on sale with a 2.2 litre diesel engine where buyers will recognise it from the Land Rover Evoque. However, in about six months’ time (as of writing) there will actually be a 2.0 litre turbo diesel equivalent. Land Rover say these engines will be lighter, quieter, quicker, smaller and crucially much more efficient. In fact, they say that the new engines will be 80 kilos lighter than the old 2.2 litre diesel. The new engines will also emit just 119g per kilometre of Co2.
One of the big disappointments with many of the Land Rover models is their infotainment systems. However, with the Discovery Sport you get a brand new system. On the surface of things it doesn’t look massively different. That’s to say, it’s still a touch screen with a few buttons down the side. However, when you actually come to playing around with it it’s just so much better. It’s far more responsive, intuitive, clearer and much easier to use.
The Discovery Sport is one of several new models as Land Rover has decided to divide its range up into three distinct sections. Firstly you’ve got “Luxury” section which will consist of three Range Rovers. Then you’ve got the Discovery family which will come under the banner of “Leisure”. Finally, there’s going to be a section called “Dual Purpose” and this is going to be the purpose for the much more rugged Defender.
The Discovery Sport will go on sale on January 22nd 2015 with prices starting at just over £32k. However, a few months down the line in the summer you’ll get the new engines and prices that point will start at £29k.
