Review: Land Rover Discovery Sport 2016

Earlier this year, we got behind the wheel of the replacement for the Land Rover Freelander, the Discovery Sport, and found it somewhat unfinished. The culprit was a 2.2-litre diesel engine, which rattled and clanged like a bag of nails and rather spoilt the baby Disco’s premium image.

As it turns out, it wasn’t finished, and the latest addition to the Discovery family was always intended to have the new Ingenium 2.0-litre diesel engines found in the new Jaguar XE.

Now, for 2016, it has been given the beating heart it was always supposed to have, so we took it for a spin to see if it feels complete.

Take a look at our Discovery Sport leasing deals here: business / personal

Efficient and refined

As the ‘e’ prefix suggests, e-Capability models are the most efficient, with a 148bhp engine, low rolling resistance tyres and just the five seats, as opposed to the 178bhp and ‘5+2’ seating layout of the more potent versions. All that combines to return 57.7mpg on the combined cycle and 129g/km CO2 emissions, which put it in the 23% company car tax bracket.

That might not sound brilliant when you look at cars like the Nissan Qashqai which manage 99g/km emissions and scrape into the 17% band, but it isn’t bad when you consider that this is a fully-fledged 4x4 with a better wading depth than a Defender and almost as much ground clearance.

The downside of going for the 148bhp engine, however, is that it isn’t exactly fast, but then the 178bhp won’t go that quickly either – neither power output can get the Disco Sport to the dark side of 120mph.

Both have plenty of torque though, which is good not only for mud plugging but also for acceleration. The e-Capability’s 11-second benchmark sprint is par for the course in the segment, although it feels faster when you’re on the road, while the 178bhp variants are capable of hitting 62mph in a mightily impressive 8.9 seconds when fitted with the nine-speed automatic gearbox.

That said, the headline figures were not the big problem with the old Discovery Sport, which had 187bhp, a 0-62mph time of 8.9 seconds and returned 46.3mpg. The problem was actually a gruffness, but it’s nowhere to be found in the Ingenium-engined Sport.

We know from the XE that the Ingenium engines are pretty refined, but the improvement over the 2.2 is remarkable. There’s still a little bit of clatter at idle, but it’s so much quieter when you’re underway that cruising up and down the motorway is much less of a chore. And even though the power has been dropped, the Ingenium still feels meaty enough to pull happily.

Off-road character

Of course, the engine isn’t the only thing we’d have liked to see improved. A little less body roll would have been nice and a tad more accuracy about the manual gear shift wouldn’t have gone amiss, but though neither issue has been addressed, we aren’t overly disappointed.

Yes, it handles well for such a tall car, but even if those niggles had been fixed, it still wouldn’t have constituted a sporty drive. Instead, we’ve come to embrace the relaxed driving style promoted by the super-spongy suspension and even the loose gearstick, which somehow adds to the off-road character previously instilled solely by the big, chunky buttons on the dash.

We’d have liked to see a slight increase in cabin quality too, but the hard plastic on the centre stack has remained untouched and there are still one or two rough edges to be found. Perhaps we’re being hyper-critical – this is the cheapest Land Rover after all, and it’s generally well stuck together – but it isn’t quite the finish you might expect from a premium brand.

Style and substance

There can be no complaints about the equipment though. The upper-mid-range, £35,395 HSE model we tested came as standard with leather seats, 18in alloys, satellite navigation, two-zone climate control, a panoramic sunroof, keyless entry and automatic lights and wipers, to name just a few.

It’s also got practicality on its side, thanks to a 689-litre boot expanding to 1,698 litres with the rear seats folded and a 2.2-tonne towing weight. That won’t matter to most Sport drivers, who see it as a fashion statement, but those looking to replace a Freelander will be glad to know the Sport holds on to some of its predecessor’s capability.

The verdict

There can be no doubt that the Ingenium engines have added a little polish to the Discovery Sport, and that has cemented its position at the top of the class. If you’re after a stylish, capable 4x4 without ruinous running costs, you really don’t have to look any further.

Land Rover Discovery Sport 2016 at a glance

Length: 4,599mm
Width: 2,173mm (incl. mirrors)
Height: 1,724mm
Wheelbase: 2,741mm

Engines: 2.0TD4 Ingenium 150 (140bhp), 2.0TD4 Ingenium 180 (178bhp)
Transmissions: Six-speed manual, nine speed auto

Greenest: SE e-Capability 150 (57.7mpg, 129g/km CO2)
Fastest: SE TD4 180 Auto (0-62mph 8.9s, 117mph)
Cheapest: SE TD4 e-Capability 150 (£30,695)
Priciest: HSE Dynamic Lux SD4 180 Auto (£46,000)