NO PANIC IN THIS DISCO

These days, a new Land Rover is the preserve of the rich and not-sofamous. The new is out to change that perception. It’s the cheapest new Land Rover available and it’s more capable than you think…

Usually, when you see a “sport” version of something, you know it’s probably going to cost more than the normal version. Ask anyone who has acted on a mid-life crisis and traded in his or her loyal spouse for a sportier model… The result is often financial ruin and a lifetime of debt. Yes, “sport” should always be approached with great care!

Weirdly, it’s the opposite with Land Rover. A normal Range Rover costs more than R2 million, whereas the Range Rover Sport is R900K cheaper. A Land Rover Discovery is far north of R1 million, but the Disco Sport starts at “only” R750 000.

This makes the recently refreshed Discovery Sport the most affordable new Land Rover money can buy. Even the Defender, once the working class mule in the Land Rover stable, now starts at a thoroughbred R950 000.

The Sport has been on the market since 2015, when it replaced the unloved Freelander. It’s an allround SUV, at home in the suburbs and comfortable on gravel roads. You can even do a bit of off-roading.

It’s not as good as the normal Discovery in the veld, but it’s better than you think.

We drove an updated D180 R-Dynamic HSE from Cape Town to Langebaan early in March. From there, we travelled to RiebeekKasteel along a route that included farm roads and a bit of 4x4 track. There was only one engine available at the time of our drive

– a 2 ℓ four-cylinder turbo-diesel that delivers 132 kW of power and 430 Nm of torque. It’s a proven engine, fairly refined for a diesel, and according to Land Rover, fuel consumption is only 5,8 ℓ/100 km. (We got pretty close to that on the open road.) There’s not much wrong with the ZF nine-speed automatic transmission either – gear changes are smooth and fuss-free.

There is some turbo lag, though. When you step on the gas to pass a truck, the engine pauses for a second before the turbo kicks in. Even then, it takes a while before it picks up speed. The acceleration of 0 – 100 km/h in 9,7 seconds is a case in point. The P250 petrol engine (183 kW, 365 Nm) will respond faster. That model will be launched

in South Africa soon, along with an electric hybrid, the P300.

When you’re driving on tar, power is sent to the front axle only. This helps reduce fuel consumption. But as soon as the car detects that you’ve lost traction, power is transferred to the rear axle, too.

One of the biggest improvements to the new Disco Sport is its chassis. It’s built on Jaguar Land Rover’s Premium Transverse Architecture, and the new Sport doesn’t sway around corners as much as its predecessor did. Up front, there are improved MacPherson struts that reduce vibration, and road noise has been reduced. It’s an SUV that moves very well on tar.

The same can be said for gravel roads. Even over rough terrain, this fairly large vehicle is better than you’d expect. Land Rover’s Terrain Response system has been improved: You can leave it in automatic mode and the computer will determine the best drive setting for the terrain, or you can play with the various programmes, which include sand, mud and rock. Torque is automatically sent to different wheels depending on the situation. Ground clearance is a decent 212 mm, and with something called Ground View, you can see what’s going on around and underneath the vehicle via the touch screen in the cabin. The wading depth is 600 mm and you can tow up to 2 500 kg.

Many of the new Discovery’s design elements have been transferred to the Sport, especially with regard to the LED lights front and rear, and the new bumpers. I actually prefer how the Sport looks from the rear compared to its more expensive bigger brother.

Inside, the Sport has truly entered the 2020s. It’s a luxurious SUV with all the latest technology, including a 10-inch touch screen, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, and a holder to recharge your phone wirelessly.

Some of the gadgets work better than others. Take the ClearSight rear-view mirror, for example. It’s linked to a camera at the back just below the roofline and gives you

LAND ROVER DISCOVERY SPORT D180 R-DYNAMIC HSE

Engine

Power

Torque

Gearbox

Top speed

Fuel consumption (claimed)

Fuel tank

Wading depth

Maximum towing weight

Ground clearance

Warranty

Service plan

Price a digital view of what’s going on behind you. This sounds great in theory, but I felt carsick looking at it for a few seconds. Thankfully I was able to switch it back to a conventional rear-view mirror.

The finishes are good and the leather seats are comfortable. Theoretically, the Disco Sport is a seven-seater, but as in most cases, the two rearmost seats are only for kids and emergencies. Rather think of it as a car that will comfortably seat five people and their luggage. Like the quiet dude in the corner at the disco, the Sport doesn’t have all the bling, but there’s substance to his understated style. This might be the one time when you’ll be justified choosing the “sport” model. 1 999 cc, 4-cylinder turbo-diesel 132 kW @ 4 000 rpm 430 Nm @ 1 750 – 2 500 rpm 9-speed automatic 202 km/h 5,8 ℓ/100 km 65 ℓ 600 mm 2 500 kg 212 mm 5 years/100 000 km 5 years/100 000 km

R897 800