Land Rover Discovery Sport

2015 Land Rover Discovery Sport

The brand-new Discovery Sport is more than just the replacement to the ailing Ford car-based Freelander because this crossover heralded the new Discovery sub-brand, aimed squarely for leisure-seeking and family-oriented adventurers. Since this whole trend of crossovers is spreading like forest fires in the west side, looks like Land Rover really are in tune with the times to create a commoner's vehicle with some Land Rover stuff in it like the ability to go off-road or something.

Although it's made to be an affordable offroader, the pricing starts at around 32,395 Euros, which is somewhat two grand more expensive than the most affordable Range Rover money can buy, the Range Rover Evoque, but keep that in mind that the Discovery Sport has something that its cheap brother don't; seven seats. Well, usually a 5+2 seating configuration for the DS but this is more family-oriented than the Evoque, you can count on it.

2015 Land Rover Discovery Sport

While the car's design looks like it came from bits from every Range Rover model ever made, the only engine choice offered in the DS is not so Land Rover-ish, perhaps it's a Ford-derived 2.2L diesel engine producing 187HP of power and can be mated with either a 6-speed MT or a more heftier 9-speed ZF automatic gearbox. Although the engine feels so dated as people dressed as 80's people in the modern party, it's still goes very well because of its 44.8mpg fuel economy and 166g/km of CO2 emissions.

If you think this is the only engine offered for the DS, think again because you can expect new and fuel-efficient JLR's Ingenium engines first applied on the Jaguar XE saloon very soon. These new breed of engines will keep the DS more refreshed and rejuvenated.

2015 Land Rover Discovery Sport interior

2015 Land Rover Discovery Sport interior

On the road, the DS feels more as civilized as what every soccer mom's van should and since this is a family-oriented car, it's rather nice. It even comes with an available rear seat entertainment system so the kids seating at the second-row can watch so much cartoons while stuck on heavy traffic. Although quite a worrisome for the driver, this is much better than snooping on kids doing kinds of ridiculous stuff in the car. Stuff like "I Spy", tong-its, are we there yet, and whatever kids say the dumbest things. It's also the safest you can drive thanks to its new safety tech such as Pedestrian Airbag and Autonomous Emergency Braking System, which is rather kooky for this one.

Off the road, despite the lack of a low-range gearbox, it still has some Land Rover goodness in it even for a crossover of that size thanks to the very clever Terrain Response system which allows the driver to choose different settings that can adapt through every road surface, be it tarmac, gravel, snow, or anything. No matter how unforgiving the terrain you're facing with, the DS knows how to Play Rough. Get it? Play Rough! No wait that's too much of a fairy stuff to mention that word.

2015 Land Rover Discovery Sport

To evaluate the new Discovery Sport, the things I like the most is its off-road capability, its modern design fit for a crossover of that size, and it's as family oriented like any other vehicle a soccer mom can drive everyday. What I don't like about this car is its price that is more expensive than the more-expensive Range Rover Evoque, the third-row seating's not so spacious, and the diesel engine's too old for a new car but I'm sure the upcoming Ingenium engines will resolve that matter.

Available colors: Fuji White, Indus Silver, Corris Grey, Santorini Black, Loire Blue, Aintree Green, Kaikoura Stone, Firenze Red, Scotia Grey, Yulong White, Barolo Black, and Phoenix Orange.

Photo: Land Rover