There are certain brand identity elements any Land Rover must have. Any vehicle in the line needs to be luxurious and travel in comfort, while also reporting for any duty with toughness and ability. They’re also supposed to be big, full-size SUVs with price tags to match (at least in the mid-range luxury market).
The Land Rover Discovery Sport nods to all of those expectations, but handles them differently than Land Rovers of the past. It’s big enough, but not as big. It’s pricey, but not priced outside of a capable buyer’s reach. It’s capable of off-road life, but very comfortable on the pavement as a grand touring ride.
Describing the vehicle as a compact crossover SUV, Land Rover isn’t doing the vehicle justice in one sense. The Discovery Sport is easily bigger than most vehicles in that class. That’s due to a mix of the Discovery Sport’s size as a legitimate Land Rover family member and the slowly fading size of other vehicles in the class. Compact crossover SUVs from other automakers are becoming big hatchbacks. They’ve been hedging their bets between cars and SUVs for a while, and many jumped over to the car side a while ago. The Discovery Sport is still an SUV.
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While still a full-on utility vehicle, the “sport” part of this Discovery’s nature means drivers will have to choose between carrying maxed out storage or people. The Discovery Sport is officially rated to carry five passengers or four adults, but if the owner sacrifices the storage space and adds a final row of seats, six adults are on their way. Alternatively, by lowering the back seats, the six-passenger SUV becomes a cargo carrier with seating for two.
No matter what the Discovery Sport carries, and whether it’s burning gas or diesel, the vehicle gets out and about with 2 liter, four cylinder engine that outs out 240 horsepower. Multiple drive modes set the engine, its nine-speed automatic transmission and its four-wheel independent suspension for everything from economic road cruising to off-roading to dedicated weather performance.
When considering how the Discovery Sport settles into the traditional Land Rover line identity, there is one area that leaves no sense of doubt. The SUV’s driving experience is smooth, sophisticated and comfortable — every bit a Land Rover. It doesn’t carry that floating, “above the fray”feel of bigger traditional Land Rover’s like the LR4, but it’s as easy to drive as any vehicle half its size.
On a side note, there is one thing Land Rover is not traditionally known for — charm. This Discovery Sport offers a genuine glimmer of it with the unofficially tagged takeaway hook. On the opposite side of the center console from the driver’s seat, there’s a tiny hook affixed perpendicular to the glove compartment. That’s where you hang a got meal in its plastic bag for a spill-proof drive home.
If we’re dealing with a UK driver, that would be where he or she would hang their curry bag for its trip to their dining room table. It’s a lovely flicker of playful utility from Land Rover designers more known for stately side panels and spacious seats. Unfortunately, American takeaway and drive-thru food providers tend to avoid plastic bags with handles — opting for paper. That abandons the little-known takeaway hook to the likes of grocery bags in a sad expression of American cultural failure.
