Land Rover debuts new Discovery Sport premium compact SUV

The Land Rover Discovery model family now has a junior member, with the new Discovery Sport arriving as a similarly luxurious but more practical alternative to compliment the Range Rover Evoque in representing the brand’s interests in the premium compact SUV segment.

Build on a new platform derived from the Evoque, the Discovery Sport shares the same range of Ford-sourced petrol and diesel engines, and is available in no less than three different driveline configurations – front-wheel drive, permanent four-wheel drive, and active four-wheel drive.

Front section of the transverse-engine Discovery Sport has much in common with the Evoque, but aft of the B-pillar, the structure is entirely reworked to maximize interior space as much as possible. Maintaining the same overhangs as the Evoque, the Disco Sport’s wheelbase is nevertheless increased by 80mm.

Land Rover, as a matter of fact, developed two separate architectures to accommodate the two layout variations it is offering with the Discovery Sport, namely five- and seven-seater configurations.

The company’s press materials make repeated mention of an all-new and ‘innovative multi-link suspension’ that not only offer superior dynamics but also exceptionally compact to package as well. The set-up allows the Disco Sport’s rear wheels to achieve up to 340mm of wheel travel to the benefit of its off-road behaviour, as any Land Rover should.

Ford engines power the Discovery Sport from launch. A 2.2-litre turbodiesel is available in two states of tune – 148hp and 187hp – but both curiously twisting the same amount of torque – 420Nm from 1,700rpm onwards. Both diesel versions can be specified with a 6-speed manual or ZF’s new 9-speed automatic that is currently available in the Evoque as well.

A new ultra-efficient in-house turbodiesel will roll out at a later date, able to achieve CO₂ rating as low as 119 g/km if fitted with FWD and a manual gearbox. Petrol power, meanwhile, comes from the familiar 2.0-litre Ford EcoBoost T5 engine producing a potent 237hp @ 5,500rpm and 340Nm @ 1,800 – 4,000rpm. It is fitted with the ZF 9-speed auto as standard.

Despite being offered with a FWD option, Land Rover engineers still gave considerable thought to the Discovery Sport’s off-roading potential. Sitting 212mm off the ground, the Disco Sport has approach, departure and breakover angles of 25, 31 and 21 degrees respectively, allowing it to confidently negotiate many extreme obstacles.

Like all modern Land Rover’s the Discovery Sport features the company’s trademark Terrain Response system that varies steering, throttle, transmission, differential, braking, and ESC settings to suit driving conditions.

In the event of floods, the Disco Sport boasts a wading depth of 600mm, with the Wade Sensing feature warning the driver through a visual display the current depth of water which the vehicle is traversing. Land Rover claims that one of the tests which the Discovery Sport was subject to included parking it in deep water whilst allowing the interior to be flooded; it was claimed that even after 30 minutes, the vehicle could still be driven.

Designed and engineered at Land Rover’s development centre in the UK, Discovery Sport will be produced at the company’s manufacturing facility in Halewood, Liverpool. It goes on sale in early 2015 alongside the existing seven-seat Land Rover Discovery in over 170 markets worldwide.

KON

Pictures: Official Land Rover release.