Motoring:New baby Discovery tested in Iceland,
New Land Rover Discovery Sport HSE Luxury 2.2L SD4 diesel
On sale: early 2015
Price: £41,195
GOOD
JUST in time for the Christmas break, I took the handsome new seven-seater Discovery Sport to Iceland — no, not the High S treet frozen food chain, but a proper epic across ice and snow-covered landscapes on that Viking island south of the Arctic Circle.
WE MAY ha ve been promised a disco inferno near the s till-smouldering volcanoes, but it was more like Ice Station Zebra on the road. I’ve ne ver seen so many fur-clad parkas since a screening of the Mod film Quadrophenia.
THIS was no road test for sissies. I don’t recall meeting
any tarmac outside Reykjavik. Most of the crosscountry driving was on thick ice, thin ice, or sno w. There was a cons tant threat of blizzard when, I’m told, visibility drops to nil. Thankfully the winter tyres and onboard safety features were up to it.
ON LOOKS alone it’ sa winner. It may be a replacement for the Freelander, but it’s bigger, smarter, more luxurious and flexible, even though the engine and much of the underpinnings remain the same.
GREAT for f amilies, thanks to fantastic flexibility. There are five seats for e veryday use. But two extra ones pop up from the rear to create a magnificent seven.
THE willing 2.2 litre SD4 diesel is link ed to a smoo th 9-speed ZF automatic gearbox and accelerates briskly from res t to 62 mph in 8.4 seconds so it’ s pretty nimble around to wn and when cruising, as w ell as off road. Top speed is 117mph. CO2 emissions are a fair 161g/km, helped by a ‘stop-start’ system.
THERE’S the option of manual override via paddles on the s teering wheel. And boy did I use them as I traversed slipper y glaciers and stormed up steep, snowclad hills. For winter in Britain, it’ll do the job.
THE hill-descent control was a godsend. It takes control of the low gearing and br aking to give you a reassuringly confident descent.
IT’S been built with about 2ft (600mm) of wading depth, with a short overhang at the front and rear to help y ou cross shallow rivers and fords.
THE car has achie ved the top 5-star rating with more emergency br aking and stability control systems than you could w ave a s tick at — plus a pedestrian airbag.
A COMFORTABLE and comforting interior with a commanding vie w of the road ahead and ample head and legroom in the back.
IT GOES on sale on January 22, with firs t deliveries set for late February.
BAD
NOT the cheapest 4x4 b y far and the ‘extras’ will soon mount up. You are paying a hefty premium for the badge and the engineering expertise behind it.
ONLY the 2.2 litre SD4 diesel version will be on sale in the UK, no petrol option.
THERE will be a ‘greener’ two-wheel-drive v ersion soon, producing a 119g/km and costing less than £30,000. Great for looking the part, but frankly if you’re going to buy a proper Land Rover, why have one that’ s not a 4x4?
THE hill descent control button needs to be more prominent so y ou could whack it into play in transit — when you suddenly realise you need it — r ather than groping to find it.