![]() And a new rear suspension design allows more wheel travel and a quieter, more absorbent (and less pitchy) ride than the LR2. The electric power steering loads up reassuringly here, while the brakes have the subtlety required for off-road combined with the reassuring pedal feel needed for higher-speed stops. A 240-hp, 2.0-liter turbocharged inline-4 is smooth and strong here, and the paddle-shifted 9-speed automatic is a good companion for responsiveness, drivability, and gas mileage. Overall, the new Discovery Sport performs and handles with a verve that’s characteristic of car-based crossovers, yet those off-road chops are there when you need them. Land Rover also boasts that there are face-level air vents in all three rows, along with a USB charging port for every passenger-including in the third row. Rest assured, there’s plenty of versatility and cargo space for gear and groceries. And the second row is no compromise for adults it slides fore and aft 6.3 inches in all, with reclining seatbacks, and is nicely proportioned, although that does mean that you sacrifice a completely flat cargo floor for folding. Ahead of those, front seats are supportive and super-comfortable, with a good driving position-although you don’t look over the hood in quite the same way as in most other Land Rover vehicles. Land Rover actually sets expectations low for the seven-seat arrangement, calling it a "5+2" configuration, and it should be just fine for the occasional extra seat needed for child-shuttling. Meanwhile it’s slightly wider than the LR2, translating to a little more cabin spaciousness, and while the roof is about 1.5 inches lower overall it preserves its 8.3 inches of ground clearance. That allows enough extra space to fit a third-row seat-a small one, for sure yet one that should meet what some parents need. It's still a compact SUV, but now it's one good for seating seven passengers when its rearmost fold-away seats are counted.Ĭompared to the previous LR2, the Discovery Sport is about 3.5 inches longer, with a wheelbase stretched by about the same amount. ![]() It wears some aluminum body panels, but not down to its core. But it's been stretched and pulled into a longer, wider form. The Discovery Sport owes some of its underpinnings to the steel-bodied Evoque, which itself evolved from the LR2. It’ll take back the Discovery name, while a new take on the legendary Defender is still somewhere up in the pipeline. There are plenty of soft-touch surfaces where it matters, and the rotary shift controller, which rises from the center console on startup, is a nice centerpiece.īy the way, look for the larger LR4, within a couple of years, to shed its current very upright look in favor of a larger riff on this theme. But what might seem a little too stark and simple soon shows itself to be refreshingly straightforward, and an elegant contrast to the soft, contemporary exterior. Inside, the Discovery Sport is unexpectedly serious and businesslike at first glance-with the horizontal dash and vertical center stack laid in with the stiffness of a T-square. It’s clearly a vehicle that was built to get dirty as well. You can’t ignore the short overhangs, skid plates, and rugged wheel lips. On the other hand, there’s no indication that it’s gone all soft. ![]() Yet the smooth body sculpting complements the look, giving it a soft detail that would fit right into urban spaces. It’s almost like a sized-up hot hatch in proportion, from some angles. The Discovery Sport’s oversize wheels (relative to its small-midsize body) really fill out the wheel wells and give this model a planted, secure look from all angles. The Discovery Sport doesn’t fully commit to either the upright-and-boxy or soft-and-carlike school of utility-vehicle design rather, it mixes a lot of the attributes that make crossover utility vehicles so appealing, then adds just enough Land Rover ruggedness. Then the LR2 made inroads, but it was lacking in ride comfort and in the latest technology features and perhaps it was still just a little too small inside for American families. In theory, the original Freelander was supposed to be that but it was a bit too small. ![]()
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