Land Rover insists that this is a completely new Discovery Sport. And the truth is that while it seems that the Jaguar Land Rover Group brand did little more than carry out a simple (and even quite timid) restyling, already under the “skin” of the British SUV the reasons behind the statement appear of Land Rover.
The SUV launched in 2015 and of which approximately 475,000 units have already been sold started to use the PTA (Premium Transverse Architecture) platform, the same as the new Range Rover Evoque. With this change, its structural rigidity increased by 13%, also being able to adopt new technologies (such as the partial electrification of its engines).
Speaking of electrification, this is achieved through a mild-hybrid (semi-hybrid) 48 V system and also through a plug-in hybrid variant (PHEV) (which arrives later this year), but about the engines already we talk later. For now, let's see what has changed in the new Discovery Sport.
What has changed abroad?
On the outside, the novelties are discreet, highlighting the new bumpers, the new grille and the new front and rear lights with a new luminous signature. New is also the arrival of 21” wheels for Discovery Sport and, according to Land Rover, a greater focus on sportsmanship, which translates, for example, into the new R-Dynamic version.
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Aesthetically speaking, the final result does not differ much from the previous one, even so, in my opinion, Discovery Sport won with the new luminous signature, as this offers it a more striking presence on the road and, in general, it is possible find a certain approximation to Range Rover style in the design of the new Discovery Sport.
The grid is one of the new features of Discovery Sport.
What has changed inside?
Inside Discovery Sport, Land Rover focused on three things: increasing storage spaces, investing in technology and increasing the perception of quality.
In terms of storage spaces, the brand redesigned the door pockets and said goodbye to the gearbox's rotary control, which allowed the center console to be raised and its storage capacity increased.
As for the technological bet, Discovery Sport said goodbye to a series of buttons and received the Touch Pro infotainment system, which has a 10.25” touchscreen. The instrument panel is now 100% digital and consists of a 12.3” screen.
Finally, in terms of the commitment to the perception of quality, this brought new materials that are softer to the touch and the truth is that not only on the road but also off-road, the quality of construction is notorious, with parasitic noises being rare.
Now it's possible to see what's going on under the Discovery Sport's hood. An asset on all terrain and parking lots.
Discovery Sport Engines
For now, Discovery Sport is available with two Ingenium four-cylinder blocks with 2.0 l capacity, one diesel and the other petrol, available in various power levels.
Diesel engines include the D150, D180 and D240, while gasoline engines include the P200 and P250 (the designation combines the type of engine/fuel: “D” for Diesel and “P” for Petrol (petrol), and the number of horses it makes available).
At the base of the range we find the D150 with front-wheel drive and six-speed manual transmission, which is the only version that does not integrate the mild-hybrid system. The other versions always come with this system, a nine-speed automatic transmission and all-wheel drive, which is accompanied by the Terrain Response 2 system.
At the wheel of the new Discovery Sport
Although Land Rover several times during this first contact made a point of emphasizing the focus on sportsmanship, the truth is that on the road Discovery Sport stands out, above all, for the rolling comfort it offers to the occupants.
In dynamic terms, in spite of the suspension containing the bodywork and steering movements until it presents a good weight, both the braking and a certain lack of communication by the direction remind us that we are at the controls of an SUV with about 2 tons in weight.
Where Discovery Sport positively surprises is off-road, with the Terrain Repsonse 2 system offering solutions for virtually every situation, making us forget the days of spars and reducers and making us appreciate the “technological era”.
As for the engines, in this first contact we had the opportunity to try the Discovery Sport in the D240 version and to make a few (not many) kilometers at the controls of a version equipped with a gasoline engine in the 200 hp version.
The first one proved to be a good choice, always having power available and pushing us to quite high speeds. The only regret is the somewhat slow gearbox and a certain lack of refinement. The second, in comparison with the Diesel engine, revealed some lack of “lung”, with the 320 Nm of torque taking a long time to show itself.
How much does it cost?
Already available in Portugal, Discovery Sport sees its prices start at the 48 854 euros requested for the base version going up to 81 829 euros requested for the R-Dynamic HSE version equipped with the D240.| Motor | Equipment | Price |
| D150 (2WD) (manual box) | Standard | 48 854 euros |
| D150 (2WD) (manual box) | s | 66 507 euros |
| D150 (2WD) (manual box) | IF | 70,419 euros |
| D150 (2WD) (manual box) | R-Dynamic Base | 51 250 euros |
| D150 (2WD) (manual box) | R-Dynamic S | 68,854 euros |
| D150 (2WD) (manual box) | R-Dynamic SE | 72 718 euros |
| D150 (AWD) (automatic box) | Standard | 55 653 euros |
| D150 (AWD) (automatic box) | s | 63 801 euros |
| D150 (AWD) (automatic box) | IF | 67 713 euros |
| D150 (AWD) (automatic box) | HSE | 73 142 euros |
| D150 (AWD) (automatic box) | R-Dynamic Base | 58 147 euros |
| D150 (AWD) (automatic box) | R-Dynamic S | 66,295 euros |
| D150 (AWD) (automatic box) | R-Dynamic SE | 70 110 euros |
| D150 (AWD) (automatic box) | R-Dynamic HSE | 75 294 euros |
| D180 (AWD) | Standard | 57 805 euros |
| D180 (AWD) | s | 66,181 euros |
| D180 (AWD) | IF | 58 164 euros |
| D180 (AWD) | HSE | 75 473 euros |
| D180 (AWD) | R-Dynamic Base | 60 250 euros |
| D180 (AWD) | R-Dynamic S | 68,577 euros |
| D180 (AWD) | R-Dynamic SE | 72 538 euros |
| D180 (AWD) | R-Dynamic HSE | 77 674 euros |
| D240 (AWD) | Standard | 62 718 euros |
| D240 (AWD) | s | 70 352 euros |
| D240 (AWD) | IF | 74,209 euros |
| D240 (AWD) | HSE | 79,666 euros |
| D240 (AWD) | R-Dynamic Base | 65 164 euros |
| D240 (AWD) | R-Dynamic S | 72,751 euros |
| D240 (AWD) | R-Dynamic SE | 76 655 euros |
| D240 (AWD) | R-Dynamic HSE | 81,829 euros |
| P200 (AWD) | Standard | 53 242 euros |
| P200 (AWD) | s | 61,086 euros |
| P200 (AWD) | IF | 64,990 euros |
| P200 (AWD) | HSE | 70,446 euros |
| P200 (AWD) | R-Dynamic Base | 55 641 euros |
| P200 (AWD) | R-Dynamic S | 63 579 euros |
| P200 (AWD) | R-Dynamic SE | 67 483 euros |
| P200 (AWD) | R-Dynamic HSE | 72 657 euros |
| P250 (AWD) | Standard | 57 844 euros |
| P250 (AWD) | s | 64 892 euros |
| P250 (AWD) | IF | 68,796 euros |
| P250 (AWD) | HSE | 74 205 euros |
| P250 (AWD) | R-Dynamic Base | 60 384 euros |
| P250 (AWD) | R-Dynamic S | 67 432 euros |
| P250 (AWD) | R-Dynamic SE | 71 336 euros |
| P250 (AWD) | R-Dynamic HSE | 76 510 euros |
Conclusion
Don't be fooled by the unaltered aesthetics. Underneath the conservative “clothes” Discovery Sport is a new car and the benefits of this renovation are felt in several aspects.
From the technological reinforcement to the very welcome electrification (consumption and the wallet are grateful) through a renewed interior, Discovery Sport saw its arguments reinforced to face a competition in constant renovation, being the ideal option for all those who want an SUV to do more than just climb rides.