Put simply, the Land Rover Discovery Sport 2 replaces the Freelander. Put in more complex terms it fills a void the Freelander didn’t by combining rugged practicality with a more luxurious feel and better refinement With Land Rover there’s a guarantee of ‘go anywhere, pull anything’ capability in a no compromise workhorse. Yet the new Discovery Sport is so much more than this. A complete redesign of the Freelander was of course, a must. With the Evoque and the Range Rover proving showroom hits, it is by no coincidence that the Discovery Sport borrows the best features of both. Thankfully, that is complemented by a massively improved interior giving a much needed premium feel to the car. It is spacious and comfortable too, and whilst legitimately claiming seven seats, the two ‘extra’ ones located to the rear can be integrated flat into the luggage floor pan.
When lifted into position they are suited mainly to children or for short distance adult travel. When the new Discovery Sport was launched in January last year, it was available with just one engine – the 188bhp 2.2 SD4. Our test car featured here, however, is fitted with the new diesel engine (the TD4). Although now 2.0 litre turbo charged, generating 180 bhp, it has better all-round performance and fuel economy and emissions over the previous car. The engine is a significant and notable improvement, proving very tractable and pulling strongly from low speeds, yet also being a highly refined and ‘torquey’ long distance cruiser. That along with economy and emissions improvements, makes this one of the best 4 x 4s on the market.
