Land Rover Discovery Sport 2020 Review - International

Just for a minute, let’s forget the born-again Land Rover Defender.

The all-new Landie is hogging headlines after its Frankfurt Motor Show unveiling, but it’s the Discovery Sport that will get to Australia first, and will have the greater impact with families.

The changes for the 2020 model amount to an all-new Land Rover Discovery Sport, with a total of 3500 new parts that reflect similar thinking to the massively updated Evoque that landed earlier this year. It’s called a mid-life refresh but it is closer to a new model.

There are changes everywhere you look and feel, from the chunkier nose to a quieter cabin and even carpet on the centre console.

Every 2020 car will come as a 5+2 seven-seater, and there is a hybrid package for all but one of the powertrain combinations.

Jaguar Land Rover Australia has also continued its policy of culling models, shrinking the Land Rover Discovery Sport to just 10 choices with pricing from $60,500 for the petrol-powered S to $82,900 for the diesel-engined HSE with R-Dynamic polishing. For context, the pricing of the less-equipped models ran from $56,595 to $79,600 without the third-row seating, which had been a $2000 upgrade.

“This is not an ordinary mid-cycle refresh. The changes we’ve made are extensive under the skin, in every other respect,” Paul Cleaver, chief product engineer for Discovery Sport, says at a preview drive in Spain.

“The brief was to get the car ready for our new electric technologies. We’ve had to make some extremely extensive changes to our architecture so we’ve taken the opportunity to improve every single attribute on this vehicle. Everything has been replaced or updated.”

The latest Discovery Sport does not look that different. Yes, the nose is more aggressive with more slots and slashes, and there are new graphics on the back.

But the shape is much the same and Land Rover admits there are plenty of carryover panels including the doors and roof.

The headlights are new with a new daytime signature in the running lights, while a bigger mouth and new outboard inlets are used to trick your eyes into thinking the car looks more sporty.

But dig deeper and you find a lot more.

It now rolls on a platform called the C-SUV architecture, which trickles down from Range Rover and is already the basis for the updated Evoque.

It brings big gains in strength, with a claim of 10 per cent better stiffness.

“We started with our new hybrid-ready architecture. That’s the underpinning,” says Cleaver.

The 48-volt hybrid package is an important move, particularly for efficiency on a mid-size SUV that can do plenty of heavy lifting, but the package even includes the ability to coast from speeds as low as 17km/h with the engine shut down.

The hybrid system is built around an 8.0kWh battery mounted below the seats, which can be used for electric assistance at low speeds and to fill any holes in the power delivery at higher revs.

There are three 2.0-litre turbocharged diesels and two 2.0-litre turbocharged petrol engines for the re-work.

The basic D150 diesel-powered Land Rover Discovery Sport has missed out on electrification but gives 110kW and 350Nm, figures that improve to 132kW/430Nm on the D180 and 177kW/500Nm on the D240.

For petrol versions, the P200 has 147kW/320Nm and the P250 jumps to 184kW/365Nm. The numbers can be a touch confusing until you realise that the model codes reflect horsepower numbers.

The diesels all have fuel economy better than 7.0L/100km, crucial for attracting the discounted rate of Luxury Car Tax, while both petrol engines are rated at 8.1L/100km.

There is permanent all-wheel drive, with a ZF nine-speed auto, but with a twist. The latest powertrain package means the driveline spends most of its time in front-wheel drive, only kicking the rear wheels into life when needed.

There an inevitable software and camera improvements to make the Sport an easier off-road friend, with all sorts of scenery views available – from close-up at the front to double-vision at the back to aid in reversing with a trailer.

These days, the Land Rover Discovery Sport driver only has to steer as the Terrain Response system handles both climbs and descents that would challenge ordinary drivers.

The family focus of the Land Rover Discovery Sport is reflected in its 5+2 cabin layout, which is now standard for every car sold in Australia. It’s possible to order a five-seater, but no-one at JLR expects anyone to do it.

The outgoing model was a bit underdone in the cabin and the newcomer is now more like a Range Rover.

There is no visible plastic in the cabin, with lashings of leather and even carpet on the bottom level of the centre console. There is better ventilation and more USB sockets in the second and third rows, but no sign – yet – of the USB-C plug that is taking over the world.

“We’ve really gone to town on the new interior. We’ve done a top-to-toe upgrade of the interior materials. I’m on a personal mission to eradicate plastic,” says Martin Buffery, Land Rover’s chief designer.

“Every part on the interior of the car has been re-designed. It’s a nicer place to be. There are lots of toys for the children. One of my favourites is the hidden third row of seats.”

The front seats are new and improved, there is a 12-inch digital instrument display and a 10-inch infotainment touchscreen, identical to the Evoque. Minor settings, including Terrain Response, are now operated using a touchpad.

The rotary gear selector, once a JLR signature, is gone in favour of an old-school shift lever.

The three trim grades are now S, SE and HSE and all come with with the R-Dynamic trim pack for Australia, as well as the Drive pack that brings auto safety braking and radar cruise control. There is wireless charging, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, and the ability to create a 4G wireless hotspot.

As always, there are plenty of options including 21-inch alloys ($1300), head-up display ($800), and the driver assist package that brings high-speed automatic emergency braking, 360-degree cameras and steering assist ($2721-$4060 depending on model).

The stronger new platform brings a slight improvement in overall dynamics, as well as a drop in road noise.

It’s always tough to be precise on unfamiliar roads, like the ones chosen by Land Rover outside Barcelona, but the Discovery Sport sits nicely and responds well to the accelerator, steering and brakes.

There were only two models on the drive, the P250 and D240, and although they are nominally in S specification they have all the cameras and a bunch of other upgrades.

Starting in the D240, and on super-smooth Spanish roads, the car is compliant and comfortable. There is plenty of torque for hills and overtaking, although there is a short delay that’s down to the turbocharger.

As for the improved stop-start system, we spend so little time in the city that I did not notice it.

Just before lunch there is a long, tough, off-road course that proves – as always –
how well Land Rover does all-wheel driving. The only challenge in the course is bravery at the wheel, as the car is capable of crawling over every obstacle using its sensors and computing power, and then does the same thing in reverse for descents.

There is some noticeable tweaking, such as a smooth step-off from a downhill start, but otherwise the fun comes from cycling through all the camera views and marvelling at the way the Land Rover Discovery Sport conquers the terrain.

After lunch, and switching to the petrol power pack, there is another off-road run and a similar level of driving ease. Nothing I have driven lately can challenge this family escape wagon.

Back onto the bitumen, there is more turbo lag from the engine, but otherwise the story is the same. It just rolls along with minimum fuss.

At end of a long, potentially tough day – but in reality, no challenge at all – the 2020 Land Rover Discovery Sport lives up to the claims.

The land Rover Discovery Sport is much improved, with worthwhile changes that move it closer to a Range Rover without compromising any of the family features that have made it a top seller down under.

How much does the 2020 Land Rover Discovery Sport Cost:
Priced from: $60,500 to $67,910
Engines: 2.0-litre petrol and diesel turbo
Outputs: P200, 147kW/320Nm; P250, 184kW/365Nm; D150, 110kW/380Nm; D180, 132kW/430Nm; D240, 177kW/500Nm
Transmission: 9-speed automatic, all-wheel drive
Fuel: 7.1-9.4L/100km
CO2: 185-214 grams/km
Safety rating: not tested