Automotive

Land Rover welcomes first "sporty" new member of expanding Discovery family

Land Rover welcomes first "sporty" new member of expanding Discovery family
The Discovery Sport joins Land Rover's Discovery family
The Discovery Sport joins Land Rover's Discovery family
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The Land Rover Discovery Sport is available in 2015
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The Land Rover Discovery Sport is available in 2015
The Land Rover Discovery Sport rear detail
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The Land Rover Discovery Sport rear detail
The Land Rover Discovery Sport is designed for the family market
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The Land Rover Discovery Sport is designed for the family market
The Land Rover Discovery Sport has all-wheel drive
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The Land Rover Discovery Sport has all-wheel drive
The Land Rover Discovery Sport grille
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The Land Rover Discovery Sport grille
The Land Rover Discovery Sport has Terrain response
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The Land Rover Discovery Sport has Terrain response
The Land Rover Discovery Sport has an aerodynamic design to keep off road dust
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The Land Rover Discovery Sport has an aerodynamic design to keep off road dust
The Land Rover Discovery Sport has 5+2 seating
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The Land Rover Discovery Sport has 5+2 seating
The Land Rover Discovery Sport is a compact premium SUV
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The Land Rover Discovery Sport is a compact premium SUV
The Land Rover Discovery Sport has a close-ratio gearbox
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The Land Rover Discovery Sport has a close-ratio gearbox
The Land Rover Discovery Sport uses design cues of the Vision concept
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The Land Rover Discovery Sport uses design cues of the Vision concept
The Discovery Sport joins Land Rover's Discovery family
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The Discovery Sport joins Land Rover's Discovery family
The Land Rover Discovery Sport panoramic roof
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The Land Rover Discovery Sport panoramic roof
The Land Rover Discovery Sport has a lower center of gravity
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The Land Rover Discovery Sport has a lower center of gravity
The Land Rover Discovery Sport dash
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The Land Rover Discovery Sport dash
The Land Rover Discovery Sport has a boron steel and aluminum body
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The Land Rover Discovery Sport has a boron steel and aluminum body
The Land Rover Discovery Sport side profile
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The Land Rover Discovery Sport side profile
The Land Rover Discovery Sport is available in a choice of liveries
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The Land Rover Discovery Sport is available in a choice of liveries
The Land Rover Discovery Sport rear view
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The Land Rover Discovery Sport rear view
The Land Rover Discovery Sport has halogen headlamps
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The Land Rover Discovery Sport has halogen headlamps
The Land Rover Discovery Sport running lights
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The Land Rover Discovery Sport running lights
The Land Rover Discovery Sport front detail
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The Land Rover Discovery Sport front detail
The Land Rover Discovery Sport headlamp
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The Land Rover Discovery Sport headlamp
The Land Rover Discovery Sport door handle
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The Land Rover Discovery Sport door handle
The Land Rover Discovery Sport pillar details
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The Land Rover Discovery Sport pillar details
The Land Rover Discovery Sport has a four-cylinder engine
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The Land Rover Discovery Sport has a four-cylinder engine
The Land Rover Discovery Sport seating
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The Land Rover Discovery Sport seating
The Land Rover Discovery Sport steering wheel
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The Land Rover Discovery Sport steering wheel
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The Land Rover Discovery Sport console
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The Land Rover Discovery Sport console
The Land Rover Discovery Sport has reclining rear seats
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The Land Rover Discovery Sport has reclining rear seats
The Land Rover Discovery Sport seating
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The Land Rover Discovery Sport seating
The Land Rover Discovery Sport wheel-mounted controls
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The Land Rover Discovery Sport wheel-mounted controls
The Land Rover Discovery Sport console details
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The Land Rover Discovery Sport console details
The Land Rover Discovery Sport panoramic roof
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The Land Rover Discovery Sport panoramic roof
The Land Rover Discovery Sport cockpit
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The Land Rover Discovery Sport cockpit
View gallery - 36 images

Land Rover has taken the wraps off its 2015 Discovery Sport, a compact version of the popular "Disco" that is aimed at the family market. The premium compact SUV features a shorter wheelbase combined with a seven-seat capacity and standard all-wheel drive and takes a few design cues from the Vision concept in an attempt to shed it’s country image for something with a bit more urban cred.

With a 107.9 in (2,741 mm) wheelbase and an optional parking assist package, the Discovery Sport takes the "Chelsea tractor" moniker to heart with the ability to park in "compacts only" spaces, but its 3,844.9 lb (1744 kg) heft means it’s still no lightweight.

Like the Vision, the Discovery Sport forgoes the original Disco profile for a more generic SUV shape mixed with a lightly rakish profile, a sleeker front and hard through lines. The clamshell hood blends nicely into the two-bar grille with hexagonal mesh, and the halogen headlamps have a more workmanlike feel than the narrow eyes on the Vision.

The Land Rover Discovery Sport grille
The Land Rover Discovery Sport grille

The Sport also boasts an acoustic laminated windshield and aerodynamics designed to reduce cabin noise and carry road muck away from the squat, muscular body. In addition, there are functional skid plates and the wheels are set wide at the corners for a lower center of gravity.

The Discovery Sport’s body is made of high-strength steel, ultra high-strength boron steel and lightweight aluminum, while the bonnet, front wings, full-panoramic roof, and tailgate are aluminum. The vehicle gets high torsional rigidity and reduced weight from a magnesium crossbeam and there are long-travel suspension mounts to the isolated subframes for extreme stiffness. Designed for 45-degree climb, the front bumper’s lower trim can also be removed for high angles.

Under the bonnet is the all-alloy, advanced low-inertia turbocharged, direct injection, spark ignition, dual independent variable valve timing, four-cylinder 2.0-liter petrol engine that does a respectable 240 bhp (176 kW) and 251 lb-ft (340 nm) of torque. The power is directed through a ZF 9HP48 nine-speed flappy paddle gearbox with closely-spaced gear ratios that Land Rover says gives a very low first gear and powerful mid-range acceleration. Put this together, and you get 0 to 62 mph (100 km/h) in 8.2 seconds and a top speed of 124 mph (200 km/h).

The Land Rover Discovery Sport side profile
The Land Rover Discovery Sport side profile

The Discovery Sport has coil spring and strut assembly front suspension with hydraulic rebound stops, steel lower control arms and aluminum suspension knuckles. A multi-link rear suspension features aluminum components for reduced weight, and a lower control arm and rear suspension knuckle with thin-walled hollow aluminum castings.

Along with the electric assist steering, the vehicle has Land Rover’s Terrain Response and Standard Trailer Stability Assist, along with Standard Tow Assist and Tow Hitch Assist that uses a camera to aid in hitching trailers and while reversing.

Up front, there are 12.8-inch (325-mm) vented brakes and 11.8-inch (300 mm) rear disc brakes. In addition there’s the Emergency Brake Assist system that automatically puts more brake pressure on in emergencies and a Corner Brake Control system for greater stability while cornering.

The Land Rover Discovery Sport cockpit
The Land Rover Discovery Sport cockpit

The interior is dominated by the raised, high-visibility driver's seat and the 5+2 seating configuration. In the back, there’s 60/40 split-seatback, elevated seating and a recline feature. In front, the three-spoke, multi-function steering wheel sits in front of the two analog dials set in deep cylindrical housing to keep off the glare and a 5-in TFT display that displays out fuel levels, gear position, coolant temperature, and Terrain Response modes.

The Discover Sport also boasts an 8-in touchscreen infotainment system with a voice-controlled satnav system boasting 3D city models and landmarks, 2D maps, and 3D views of upcoming junctions. WiFi hotspot connectivity is also included, along with Bluetooth that supports connection of two smartphones to make and receive calls hands-free using multi-function steering wheel controls. In addition, there’s configurable mood lighting, up to four 12 V power points, and six USB charging sockets.

The Land Rover Discovery Sport console
The Land Rover Discovery Sport console

"The launch of Discovery Sport is a pivotal moment in the 66-year history of Land Rover," says Phil Popham, Jaguar Land Rover Group Marketing Director. "Not only does it mark the introduction of the first new member of our expanding Discovery family, it also brings the versatility of 5+2 seating to the compact premium SUV market."

The Discovery Sport goes on sale early next year with a starting price of US$37,995.

Source: Land Rover

View gallery - 36 images
2 comments
2 comments
Mel Tisdale
No matter how close the wheels are to the corners, it does nothing to the height of the centre of gravity. I think the marketing guys who wrote this probably meant 'stability,' which is improved by such placing.
The Discovery range is far removed from its ancestry. Originally, the whole vehicle was one giant Meccano kit clad in Birmabrite fastened together with pop-rivets. Go anywhere was the name of the game, together with ease of repair to get you home again if something broke. You could even slide the bonnet (hood AmE) off its hinges and put it in the back so that when fording deep water, the spray from the fan simply went skywards and not all over the ignition leads. Removal of the bonnet also did wonders for under-bonnet temperatures if they became a problem.
Whilst I wouldn't want to go back to the 'good old days', I really would like to feel that if my car splutters to a halt, I stand a good chance of getting it fixed so that I can at least get home, like I used to be able to. When I lift the bonnet of a modern car, I just scratch my head in puzzlement.
O.k. if help is only a 'phone call away, but possibly even fatal if one is in the middle of nowhere with no habitation in sight, no 'phone signal, and no idea what to do. This is surely important with this vehicle. They won't all be used to ferry people from Chelsea tavern to Chelsea tavern. Some might actually be required to live up to their ancestry.
Greg63
I def. think that this discovery sport is the next version for Land Rover. Have you guys seen the teaser for this bad boy www.youtube.com/watch?v=3nhPXpBr1mM&list=PLG6Bx3aPjNd0XRNDpbiL77djKoN8XaSDh