models with this much power won’t have the extra hybrid weight) and the ZF nine-speed gearbox either struggles to deliver the right ratio on time when left in the sport auto mode, or can thunk when you go manual. The 2.0-liter feels underpowered and raspy when gunned hard (no shock given 246 hp is trying to motivate roughly 4,200 pounds (remember, U.S. On challenging sweepers high above Barcelona, the Discovery Sport’s chassis is secure and competent, with neutral handling that scrubs safely to understeer, and a little lag between steering input and generous body roll. You might also feel the little torque boost from the mild-hybrid system it helps compensate for any turbo lag and lends a certain energy when you pull away. It rides with plush compliance, isolates its occupants well from wind and road noise at a 70-mph cruise, and the four-cylinder engine is generally smooth and unobtrusive in typical driving – especially as the stop-start activates so readily at up to 11 mph under braking and helps hide a ticky idle. On passive dampers and 20-inch alloys (18s are standard, with 21s now offered for the first time thanks to PTA too), the Discovery Sport is an impressive driver, if more for its comfort and refinement than any true sportiness. Caveat time: we’re testing the P250 mild-hybrid, which isn’t coming to the U.S. Pricing starts from $37,800 for the P250, while the P290 is available only as a HSE, hence it’s a significant step up with a base price of $52,800. It gives about a seven percent boost to fuel efficiency, though mpg figures for both models remain TBA.īoth Discovery Sports are available to order with the punchier R-Dynamic treatment (more aggressive bumpers, that kind of thing), which is essentially extra garnish sprinkled over S, SE and HSE trims. It’s an unusual amount of expense and effort, but it’s allowed Land Rover to hybridize its worldwide best-seller, and will help lower its fleet average emissions – a plug-in hybrid Discovery Sport with zero-emissions capability is on its way to the U.S.įor now, there are two Discovery Sport derivatives, both with turbocharged four-cylinder gasoline engines: the P250 gets 246 hp but no hybrid tech, while the 286 hp P290 uses a 48-volt mild-hybrid system to harvest energy normally lost during deceleration, then stores it in an under-floor battery. The body is 13 percent stiffer, the floor is raised about an inch and the electrical architecture is all new. Beyond that, the Discovery Sport diverges to package the third-row seating that’s unavailable on the smaller, shorter-wheelbase Evoque – or rivals including the Audi Q5, BMW X3 and Mercedes GLC. The new Disco Sport has switched from the previous model’s D8 platform to essentially the same PTA (Premium Transverse architecture) as the new Range Rover Evoque the two are identical beneath the skin until just ahead of the rear wheels. The news is that Land Rover changed what’s underneath this familiar-looking three-row SUV. Land Rover giving the Discovery Sport a facelift four years in its run with new lights, bumpers, alloy wheels and a refreshed interior isn’t news.
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