If the elegant Range Rover is James Bond, then the Land Rover Discovery is John Wayne. We’ll explain: The prestige Range Rover is one of the most luxurious and capable sport utility vehicles (SUV) on the road today. It will go anywhere and tackle all terrains with consummate ease while cosseting the occupants in supreme comfort be it in the city or in the countryside.
The Discovery meanwhile is clearly thinks it should live an outdoor life, encountering everything that nature can think up. In short, these premium cars complement each other and that’s why they continue to be the most sought after models in the SUV landscape. The Discovery Sport version, the topic this time, adds a little more agility and compactness than the bigger brother and is usually found in a five-seat configuration (two dicky seats at the back are now an option) without losing any of the legendary ability.
The Premium Interior
The Discovery Sport’s versatile and spacious interior (in five or seven seat configurations) ensures generous room and comfort for all, and up to 24 possible seat positions, with a sliding and reclining second row and a flexible load area of up to 1,794 litres for all that family life can throw in the five-seat version.
The Discovery Sport may be at home in the countryside but finely crafted, tactile materials still create a luxurious cabin, while the interior is bright, spacious and airy with stadiumstyle seating for optimum visibility in all three rows, where fitted. The latest ‘Pivi Pro’ infotainment setup features permanently accessible sidebars, which provide shortcuts to key vehicle controls and functions, such as media, volume, climate and navigation. This allows users to access up to ninety per cent of tasks within two taps from the home screen. Wireless ‘Apple CarPlay’ and ‘Android Auto’ also feature as standard for the ultimate connectivity and convenience.
The Power
The nature of these vehicles has now moved on and electricity has joined is mated with internal combustion to help reduce emissions and improve fuel consumption. The allwheel-drive Discovery Sport offers a range of efficient plugin electric hybrid and mild hybrid electric propulsion options, delivering responsive performance.
For the electric hybrid, an electric-only range of up to 36 miles means that many average daily journeys are achievable in pure electric mode. And with DC rapid charging capability, a 080 per cent charge is complete in as little as 30 minutes.
Land Rover ‘Ingenium’ diesel engines in two power outputs complete the lineup. Advanced mild hybrid electric technology provides smooth operation of the startstop function for composed urban driving, with the 48volt system boosting performance and economy.
The Latest Models
Metropolitan
The Discovery Sport Metropolitan is the latest flagship version that emulates its bigger Discovery Metropolitan sibling with design cues that highlight the brand’s blend of luxury and versatility.
On the outside, the Metropolitan edition is distinguished by Atlas Silver Discovery script on its bonnet and tailgate, and Indus Silver finished front and rear under-shields. The front grille features a distinctive silver foil insert, while Metropolitan branded tread-plates are revealed when the doors are open. It also has new 20inch Diamond Turned multispoke alloy wheels, optionally available with a Gloss Black finish.
Inside, the Metropolitan features Windsor Leather with 14way electrically adjustable heated and cooled seats and a host of extra comfort and convenience features. These include a 650W 14speaker (plus dualchannel subwoofer) ‘Surround Sound’ System, ingenious ‘Clearsight’ Rear View Mirror for enhanced rearward visibility and Cabin Air Purification Plus for that breath of fresh air.
Landmark
The Landmark name celebrates the model’s long, rich history, earned across more than 35 years of outdoor adventure. The Discovery Sport Landmark is identified by the mountain range logo that was first seen on the original 1989 Discovery. For Discovery Sport this instantly recognisable logo appears on the aluminium tread-plates, alongside Landmark script. At night, the familiar logo illuminates on the ground when unlocking the vehicle, with puddle lights projecting from the underside of the door mirrors.
The Landmark edition highlights the exceptional versatility of the Discovery Sport range, with slide and recline functionality for the second row seats and a panoramic roof to create a light and airy cabin. Standards extras include ‘Click & Go’ media holders to keep the ankle-biters in the second row entertained, while a ‘3D Surround Camera’ aids manoeuvring and roof rails maximise versatility.
The Drive
What is there to say? Land Rover vehicles have always been the ultimate combination on-and off-road specialists and their cars have improved over the years. Because it’s more compact, the Discovery Sport is one of the more comfortable cars in its class thanks to easy comfort suspension. Obviously this car is great off-road but what is particularly impressive is how well the car deals with potholed and poorly surfaced metalled roads. Adaptive dampers are available as an option though for more finesse. When cornering, the Sport is well-weighted and responds in a natural way, making this SUV very easy to drive confidently. The brakes feel are great too.
The British brand’s ‘Terrain Response 2’ system is fitted to every version for when the going gets really tough, allowing the driver to select the appropriate settings for the kind of terrain under wheel, be it sand, mud and ruts, gravel or rocks. Work it out for yourself or simply select ‘auto’ and let the car do the thinking. It is indeed on rough terrain that Land Rover’s heritage shines through. It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say that the Discovery Sport is easily the best vehicle in its class at tackling off-road surfaces.
Land Rover With MHH International
MHH International specialises in exporting new and pre-owned vehicles from leading prestige marques such as Land Rover to clients worldwide — including destinations like Ireland, New Zealand, Kenya and Mauritius. Our current stock of Land Rover and Range Rover models is available to view online, and our team is on hand to source specific vehicles to suit your requirements. For qualifying purchases, VAT savings of up to 20% may also be available. Get in touch us to learn more about how our seamless export service can deliver the right Land Rover for you.
