LIVING WITH A... DISCOVERY SPORT
FIFTH REPORT Our hi-tech SUV is proving a shining star in the middle of a gloomy British winter
Land Rover is ideal for dark winters with bright xenons and cabin lighting.
THE dark and gloomy winter weather is now in full swing, but thanks to our Land Rover Discovery Sport I’m still tripping the light fantastic every time I climb behind the wheel. From its brilliant xenon headlamps to the gorgeous glow of the cabin’s ambient lighting, the British SUV still leaves me with a smile that’s more dazzling than the car’s main beam.
Let’s start with the headlamps. While hi-tech LED units are all the rage today, our Disco proves that there’s still life in xenons yet. The standard set-up is excellent, with a wide spread of white light on dipped and a powerful and lengthy main beam that makes light work of the unlit country lanes around my Hertfordshire home.
Also included is high beam assist, which automatically dips the lamps when it senses oncoming traffic or you catch the car in front. It’s a neat set-up that’s rarely caught out, helping to take the strain out of night drives.
However, when I specified our car I also ticked the box for the £390 adaptive upgrade – and the set-up has proven to be money well spent. Put simply, the beams follow the steering, effectively allowing you to see around bends.
It works so well that it’s only when you jump in a car without the kit that you realise how much a standard headlamp misses. It’s the same with the separate LED cornering lamps that help take the guesswork out of negotiating pitch black junctions or really sharp hairpin bends.
There are other neat lighting touches, too. Unlock the car at night and puddle lights under the door mirrors create a pool of light around the sides of the car, while our car also includes the £1,140 Santorini Contrast Roof Style Pack, which adds illuminated kick plates and £210 configurable mood lighting. The former is a little chintzy, but the latter creates a real feelgood factor after dark.
You can choose between five different colours for the strips of LEDS set into the tops of the doors and around the base of the centre console. Of course, this technicolour display doesn’t improve the functionality of the cabin, but it’s impossible not to be seduced by the classy ambience the set-up creates.
However, it’s not just the Land Rover’s impressive light show that’s helping create a warm glow this winter. For instance, when you start the car on really cold mornings, the heated seats and screen fire up automatically. It’s a small but thoughtful and thoroughly welcome touch.
And of course the Disco’s combination of four-wheel drive, all-season tyres and commanding driving position is making mincemeat of the wet, greasy and leaf-strewn roads – few cars inspire as much confidence in wintry conditions.
Yes, there are still niggles with the car, such as the firm low-speed ride and short distance between fill-ups – but neither is able to cast a long enough shadow to spoil my enjoyment of this excellent SUV.
“The £210 configurable mood lighting helps to create a real feelgood factor after dark”