UPWARDLY MOBILE
Land Rover’s new Discover y Sport is going to have to be ver y good to live with this company. So is it?
The Land Rover Discovery Sport is supposed to be a new take on the Freelander, yet I’m confronted with an interior that looks and feels five years old. This predated feel is reinforced with every turn of the four-cylinder diesel engine’s crankshaft, too, its coarse nature betraying the fact that it is actually five years old.
And all of this, even though this is the newest and one of the more expensive options in its class. After all, when you’re attempting to muscle in on a market occupied by the likes of the BMW X3 — frequently regarded as one of the best midsized SUVs on sale — then you really need to push the boat out.
The Discovery Sport doesn’t face competition just from Germany, however. These days, every manufacturer is in on the SUV game. So, in order to find out whether the Land Rover really has what it takes to justify a place on your drive, we’re pitching it at a broad spectrum of alternatives.
First to join the Discovery Sport is the Volvo XC60. It packs Volvo’s frugal new D4 engine and is a quietly appealing car. Next is the Hyundai Santa Fe. Like the Land Rover, it sports a diesel engine and seven seats. It may not have the badge, but what it majors on is value for money and ease of use. Lastly, the X3.
It’s this BMW that the Land Rover will have to work hardest to overcome, but that’s not to say the other cars here are completely outgunned. However, it’s immediately apparent that the Land Rover is the one getting the most attention and is unquestionably the most interesting to look at.
But this flagship HSE version makes it the most expensive here, although compensation comes in the form of an equipment list that’s as long as your arm. The others may be cheaper, with the Santa Fe as the best value option in terms of toys on money spent.
On the road, the Discovery quickly transpires to live up to its “Sport” moniker. The suspension is fairly stiff, the steering hefty and the intent clear. It’s by no means a Porsche Macan, but this is an SUV that rewards the keen driver. It retains an impressive amount of grip and turns in to corners in a precise, poised fashion.
It’ll understeer predictably when pushed but, other than an initial light tip onto its outside wheel, it corners in a flat fashion. Wind it out across some sweeping country roads and it tackles everything you throw at it with aplomb, feeling eager and enjoyable rather than unsettled.
It’s only the powertrain that takes the edge off the experience. The 190hp 2.2-litre diesel is not earth-shattering but more than enough for its class. Peak torque is generated from a low 1,750rpm, so once the Discovery Sport is rolling, it surges along with aplomb. The engine isn’t particularly quiet, though, and its vibrations occasionally intrude into the cabin.
The nine-speed automatic gearbox could be better as well. From a standing start, it’ll hesitate to transmit drive, making it difficult to execute a prompt getaway. Additional throttle application results in nothing more than an even more vigorous take-off when it actually responds. The consolation is that gearshifts are otherwise prompt and quick, and the engine pulls heartily enough through its rev range. Braking power is excellent, too, and easily judged.
Once up to cruising speed, the Discovery Sport’s firm ride doesn’t translate into discomfort. It lopes along with ease and the quiet cabin makes longer trips easy to endure.
There’s a vast amount of space, too. The quality of the cabin is acceptable, but there are some easily marked plastics in places. It’s functional and logical, rather than elegant and inspirational.
Unlike the terrain-following Land Rover, the BMW has much more compliant suspension that allows for a moderate amount of body movement. It feels softer, which, in conjunction with lighter steering, delivers a more cosseting feel.
Many may find the X3 easier to get along with because of its less sharp nature. In Sport mode, the X3 will tighten up and corner faster than the Discovery Sport, but not in quite such a rewarding fashion.
The BMW may not be as exciting to drive as the Land Rover, but it does feature a much more competent powertrain. Its 190hp 2.0-litre diesel may not have torque levels to match the Land Rover on torque, but it feels more eager at lower revs. This snappy response is bolstered further by the eight-speed automatic ’box, which rifles through its ratios in a suitably prompt fashion. The BMW’s diesel isn’t a particularly refined one, but it is a little less boomy than the Discovery Sport’s powerplant.
Inside the BMW, there’s masses of space, too, although it’s purely a five-seater. The interior isn’t as cohesive as the Land Rover’s, but the quality of the materials is generally very good. Its switchgear, particularly, feels delightfully well damped and securely fixed.
The XC60 outdoes both on the comfort and refinement front. It also has the most aurally gratifying diesel of the lot. The 181hp 2.0-litre motor delivers prompt, lively-feeling performance, too, thanks to being the only two-wheel-drive SUV here.
However, the Volvo falls down in two places. Firstly, although the cabin is easily the most visually appealing of the cars here and front space is excellent, the rear is quite cramped. Secondly, there’s not much to reward the driver. Although it damps out the bumps well and tolerates the curves adequately enough, there’s little in the way of feedback — and the harder you push, the more notably the flaws in its chassis become apparent. Unsettlingly, there’s sometimes pronounced steering kickback in long, sweeping high-speed turns.
Its lack of four-wheel drive, in this specification at least, stunts its overall rating slightly, too. Accelerate with anything resembling vigour out of a vaguely damp junction and it’ll easily overpower the front wheels. The eight-speed automatic works well, although shifts aren’t executed as quickly as in the BMW or Land Rover.
So what of the Santa Fe, the last in the line? Well, truth be told, it does a very competent job. It rides in a pliant, supple fashion and exhibits no unpleasant tendencies when pushed. The steering is devoid of feedback, but its light weight makes manoeuvring easy.
The Hyundai is the slowest car here, on paper, but it doesn’t feel like it gives up much to the others in the real world. The 200hp 2.2-litre diesel is a pleasantly quiet affair, too, and ideal for simply cruising around. Similarly, the six-speed automatic transmission operates in an unobtrusive fashion and, unlike the Discovery Sport, the Santa Fe will happily trundle away from junctions without hesitation.
Its interior isn’t exciting or as well finished as the others here, but it feels durable. It’s a shame the seats lack lower back support, though, because they can become tiring to sit in on longer trips.
Outside of that, then, the Hyundai majors on everyday usability. It’s spacious, well equipped and immensely easy to drive. But although it has its strong points, it’s the most amorphous car within this group and it doesn’t leave much of a lasting impression.
All in all, it’s the Discovery Sport that’s most exciting, interesting and desirable, and by such an extent that its foibles eventually pale into comparative insignificance. Furthermore, it’s the Land Rover that feels like it could conquer a mountain, and that’s what many look for in an SUV, regardless of whether they’ll ever venture off the beaten path.
The BMW is unquestionably an impressive piece of machinery, but it lacks the Discovery Sport’s on-road verve and practical edge, landing it in second place. It does offer a more relaxed, rounded performance, but the Land Rover transpires to be the kind of car that you step out of and quietly wish you could continue driving onwards in.
In third place is the Volvo. It has its charms, such as its quiet cabin, but its chassis leaves it trailing in the wake of the Discovery Sport and X3. Similarly, the Santa Fe is not devoid of appeal, but it lacks the desirability and luxury feel necessary to come out on top here. Consequently, it finishes last, but even to be in competition with such strong rivals shows how commendable a car it is.
Unless you absolutely, positively must have the newest car on the block, however, you’d be advised against buying a Discovery Sport now, because the new, modern Ingenium engines are due soon. Their fitment will hopefully combat the Land Rover’s lack of mechanical refinement, unimpressive fuel economy and occasionally sluggish responses.
Onwards and, aptly for a Land Rover, upwards.