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Bruce Newton29 Jun 2015
REVIEW

Land Rover Discovery Sport 2015 Review

There's little doubt the littlest Land Rover is going to be a big hit – but does it deserve to be?

Land Rover Discovery Sport SD4 SE
Road Test

After two Freelander generations, the Discovery Sport is a change of name for Land Rover's smallest SUV. It's also a significant overhaul with its bigger body, increased interior space and upgraded drivetrains and underpinnings. Launched this month with a range of competitively priced and equipped turbo-diesel and petrol variants, we're testing the model at the heart of the range that is expected to be the biggest seller. The 11-variant Discovery Sport range is priced from $53,300 (plus on-road costs).

Rightly or wrongly we love SUVs in Australia.

So when an offroad brand with the recognition level of Land Rover rolls out a chunkily good looking new family-sized and family-priced all-wheel drive wagon line-up it's going to be a sales winner.

The good news is the new Land Rover Discovery Sport is not a bad vehicle either.

Here we're driving the SD4 SE, which comes with a powered-up 140kW/420Nm 2.2-litre turbo-diesel engine, mated with a $2500 optional nine-speed automatic transmission.

The TD4 version of the same engine makes 110kW/400Nm while a 2.0-litre turbo-petrol Si4 engine makes 177kW/320Nm.

The SD4 SE is expected to be the biggest seller in the line-up and will set you back $59,000 before on-road costs. That price pitches it against a huge cross-section of the SUV sales field including the Audi Q3, BMW X1, Lexus NX300h, Volvo XC60, Ford Territory, Jeep Grand Cherokee, Toyota Prado and even the Nissan Patrol.

Of course some of those you can eliminate straight away; a Disco Sport buyer almost certainly won't cross-shop against a Patrol or Prado. On the other hand the Grand Cherokee's place as the upwardly mobile aspirational's SUV of choice must surely be under pressure. Meanwhile, the BMW X3 and Audi Q5 are nominated as competitors but the Landy undercuts them significantly on price.

Like all Disco Sports the SD4 SE comes standard with permanent all-wheel drive and Land Rover's Terrain Response System, which alters steering, throttle response, gearbox, Haldex centre-coupling and braking/stability systems through four settings: default General; Grass/Gravel/Snow; Mud and Ruts; and Sand.

Unlike many rivals, there is no two-wheel drive version. Also unlike most rivals, it offers the option of third-row seats, making the car a '5x2' as Land Rover dubs it. These kid-only pews add $1990, but you will probably want to also option third-row air-conditioning for $1150.

This is just the start of a long list of options that includes $1300 for metallic paint or $2600 for premium metallic (white is the only solid among 12 paint choices).

What you do get standard even in this entry-level SD4 specification (the range climbs through HSE and HSE Luxury) includes a powered tailgate, leather trim, satellite-navigation, 8.0-inch colour touch-screen, 5.0-inch trip computer, keyless entry and start, automatic lights and wipers, eight-way powered front seats and 18-inch alloy wheels.

A full-size spare tyre with alloy wheel is standard.

This is in addition to a safety suite comprising a reversing camera, lane-departure warning, eight airbags including a first-in-class pedestrian airbag on the leading edge of the bonnet and autonomous emergency braking, which operates between five and 80km/h.

Cruise control with speed-limiter, hill-descent control, hill-start assist, roll stability control and trailer sway control are also included.

The Disco Sport on test offers a braked towing capacity is 2200kg.

The car also comes with a maximum five-star Australian (ANCAP) and EuroNCAP safety rating.

At the core of it all is a significantly revised version of the architecture used by the popular Range Rover Evoque and the Disco Sport's predecessor, the Freelander 2. There is no mechanical link with big brother Discovery.

With its wheelbase extended around 80mm, the Disco Sport is able to offer more interior and luggage space – including the aforementioned option of third-row seats.

Up in the first two rows its very adult friendly, with big seats and plenty of foot, knee and head room. The reclining second-row seats are set high for a better view out of the big windows. There are strong nets on both front seats, door pockets, a fold-down centre armrest with dual cupholders and a lidded bin, two 5-volt (USB) and one 12-volt charger and adjustable rear air-con vents.

Access is via wide-opening doors and the seat can split-fold easily to grow luggage space from 829 litres to 1689 litres. There are three top tether points in the boot at the base of the bench seat and four floor hooks. Curiously, there are no string nets or under-floor pockets, which given Land Rover's reputation for functionality, would have seemed obvious features for this car.

From the driver's seat the Disco Sport does the job well with a really comfortable and full-sized seat, reach and rake adjustable steering, a left footrest, big and clear instrumentation, functional controls, plenty of storage spaces including big door pockets, glovebox and centre-lidded bin and charging outlets to keep those all-important smart phones running.

There's also evidence of original thought here; the funky gear selector dial rises from the centre console when the starter button is pushed and the graphics on the 8.0-inch media screen have a strong computer (dare I say Windows…) graphic presentation. Didn't crash once…

Yet there were issues; the interior definitely lacked the quality edge that usually sets Land Rover interiors apart. While the leather stitching was nice, some plastics were bone-hard and some speakers vibrated … the air-conditioning also stopped working while we had the car.

The cruise control is also one of the most ineffective ever experienced. Down one hill it was going 20km/h over the target speed and still accelerating when I gave up and hit the brakes.

Nevertheless, from the driver's seat it is also apparent just what a decent drive the Disco Sport is. It's very car-like drive with direct, weighted steering and good body control. Land Rover says a new generation multi-link rear suspension is important in this regard, along with electrically-assisted steering.

The set-up of the suspension is firm, especially at low speed. But it isn't harsh. The aim is to limit body roll and the traditional flabby feel SUVs generate. Rolling on sensibly sized 235/60-series Continental rubber, the Disco Sport is a moderate understeerer when pushed. But that's no surprise and this isn't Australia' Best Driver's Car either.

The biggest dynamic disappointment is the 11.7m turning circle, which does inhibit ease of use around town. Big pillars also hinder those vital head checks for other vehicles.

The engine's hesitation at tip-in throttle is also an issue for city and suburban driving. Combined with a pronounced kick at 2000rpm, it makes low-speed work that little more difficult than it should be. For instance, confidence is reduced when looking to negotiate the cut and thrust of a busy roundabout.

Once up and running the drivetrain is lively and pretty smooth – for a turbo-diesel. You can sense an underlying vibrations at the car's various touch points, but it's not all that intrusive. Indeed, Land Rover has done a really good overall job curtailing cabin noise, vibration and harshness. It's worth noting, however, that there is a new generation of engines on the way for this car, but the diesel isn't expected until 2017.

The ZF nine-speed auto is pretty busy but works smoothly, either left to its own devices or changed manually via the paddles on the steering wheel – although the auto will over-ride and change gears anyway. Opting for Sport mode is the intermediate step that holds gears that little longer for better acceleration and engine braking.

Claimed fuel economy is a stellar 6.1L/100km and while that is clearly optimistic, our experience indicates sub 8.0L/100km is definitely achievable. Consider the engine idles along at 1400rpm at 100km/h in top gear and you can understand how that figure is achieved. So thumbs up for that.

In our week with the Disco Sport we didn't venture seriously offroad, but it behaved well on the dirt roads we sampled and also showed up confidently when the heavens opened.

Of course, it's unlikely most people are ever going to submit their Disco Sport to serious dirt work. The urban jungle is its destination and there's no doubt how well it's going to perform there.

We'd like to see some fine tuning of the throttle/transmission relationship, a better turning circle and a bit of reassurance on the quality front. But fundamentally this is a good vehicle and a definite winner for Land Rover.

2015 Land Rover Discovery Sport SD4 SE pricing and specifications:
Price: $56,500 (as tested, plus on-road costs)
Engine: 2.2-litre four-cylinder turbo-diesel
Output: 140kW/420Nm
Transmission: Nine-speed automatic
Fuel: 6.1L/100km (ADR Combiend)
CO2: 199g/km (ADR Combined)
Safety Rating: Five-star (ANCAP)

What we liked: Not so much:
>> Drives nicely – especially for an SUV >> Big turning circle
>> Good interior space >> Throttle tip-in lag
>> Fuel economy >> Quality glitches
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Our team of independent expert car reviewers and journalistsMeet the team
Expert rating
74/100
Engine, Drivetrain & Chassis
15/20
Price, Packaging & Practicality
15/20
Safety & Technology
16/20
Behind the Wheel
15/20
X-Factor
13/20
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