It’s good riddance to the Freelander – and hello to a new and very attractive cousin..
SO, farewell to the Freelander, Land Rover’s midsize SUV that suffered a few reliability problems back in the day. Its bigger sibling, the Discovery, was quite the opposite, regularly topping reliability surveys and helping Land Rover to the top spot in carmaker surveys in the past few years.
It makes a lot of sense, therefore, that the Freelander replacement should be badged as the Discovery Sport, adding a halo effect to the smaller model. There are other elements in the mix as well, not least the Discovery Sport not looking hugely different to the Range Rover Evoque; indeed, when I saw it for the first time at last year’s Paris Motor Show, I actually burst out laughing at the cheekiness of the similarities with the more upmarket marque in the family. That said, while the Evoque seems to me to be quite feminine, the Discovery Sport is just about butch enough to be taken a little more seriously and, with the 2.2-litre diesel powerplant, certainly offers a lot of grunt in an attractive package.
It is long and low, with a silhouette that tapers downward towards the rear of the car, giving it an attractively sculpted look. The grille, simple and unfussy, brings a real touch of class to the front view, and the rear skid plate also is designed to blend in rather than stand out.
My test car was a five-seat model; 5+2 also is available, though Land Rover recommends the extra two for children up to 15 and occasional adult use only. The rear passenger legroom is fantastic. The bench can be moved forward by a class-leading 160millimetres and, when folded, opens up a load floor as big as that in a Range Rover. Total load capacity with the rear bench down is 1,698 litres, which is very generous.
The cabin is well appointed in the SE model, and I particularly liked the infotainment screen spilt in quarters for the various functions. The British heritage shines through, with a red phone box depicting the mobile telephony function. The satnav quarter passively displayed the name of the roads I was driving on, which is a nice touch. Heated leather seats also were welcome; the week I drove it, temperatures dropped quite dramat- ically at night, and the bit of warmth was very welcome. You wouldn’t call the cabin luxurious exactly, but the seats are very comfortable and the controls all are very intuitively designed, so it worked for me.
The drive is particularly comfortable on the motorway, and handling is excellent in corners. The nine-speed automatic box is one of the best I’ve driven, with absolutely no lag as it shifted. The suspension can feel a little hard around town, and it didn’t seem particularly fond of speed bumps, surprising in a car with such impressive ground clearance.
For those who need to use it off-road, all the usual driving modes are offered, for grass, gravel and snow and so on. Hill descent control also is on the car. The approach angle for gradients is 25 degrees, and the exit angle is 31 degrees. Wading depth is 600 millimetres.
At an entry-level price of €37,100 for the Pure spec 2.0-litre petrol model, the car is good value, but as you move up the powertrains and add the extras, you can spend a lot more. My car came at a base price of €48,840, but totalled €55,985 with all the optional extras added – these were grey metallic paint (€1,095), contrasting black roof (€785), cold climate pack (€1,570), USB centre console (€95), power seats (€785), bi-xenon headlamps (€1,530), parking assist (€1,170) and auto high-beam assist (€195). That seems a little pricey.
Running costs are mid-range, with motor tax of €570 a year and fuel consumption around six litres per 100km in the combined urban/ extra-urban cycle.
All that said, though, I was very impressed. In styling terms, this is a generational leap above the Freelander. It feels classier and it drives better, and with all the space available, and the 5+2 option (around €1,700) you’d really have to seriously examine your driving needs before buying the bigger Discovery.
Best of all, though, it feels genuinely welcoming. I developed an almost instant rapport with it, and I hated handing it back. A genuine discovery indeed.