The emergence of Discovery Sport has become, without exaggeration, one of the main events of 2014 in the automotive world. This debut was expected by many: admirers of the Land Rover brand (eager to replace the outdated Freelander), and journalists, and competitors, and, of course, dealers - "rubbing their hands in anticipation of profit" ... And then "it finally happened" - in early October In 2014, the official show of this British crossover took place on the catwalks of the Paris Motor Show, which entered the market a few months later.
And if it is difficult to talk about the “sales success” of this car on the Russian market (due to the “economic storm”), then in terms of global sales this “newcomer” “coped perfectly well with his main task” - becoming a truly worthy successor of “Freelander ".
The Discovery Sport looks very decent even in terms of design, based on the ideas shown in the Discovery Vision concept. The SUV, of course, retained the "figurative features of its predecessor", but at the same time received completely new "chips": the inscription "Discovery" on the hood and tailgate; an air intake with anti-wave protection placed in the engine compartment above the left arch, round daytime running lights divided into 4 sections, and so on ...
The Discovery Sport monocoque body is made of high-strength steel, hot-formed boron steel (A-pillars, sills) and aluminum (hood, front fenders, roof panel, tailgate).
In addition, in comparison with the Freelander, the new product has more aerodynamic contours - the drag coefficient is 0.36.
The length of "Discovery Sport" is 4599 mm, the wheelbase is 2741 mm, and the ground clearance (ground clearance) of the novelty does not exceed 212 mm (for the European market). The width of the five-door body is 2069 mm, and its height reaches 1724 mm.
The tightly knit interior of Land Rover Discovery Sport is tailored in the "family" style of the British brand - it looks traditional, but rather "boring". The monumental center console is crowned with a color display of the infotainment complex, and under it are a simple-looking air conditioning unit and buttons for controlling additional functions.
The driver's workplace is a large three-spoke steering wheel with a "flat" rim and a laconic "toolbox" with two pointer "saucers" and an on-board computer screen.
The car has a classic 5-seater salon with an impressive amount of free space in both rows of seats and a high level of trim. If desired, the novelty can be equipped with an optional third row of folding seats, bringing the layout of the cabin to 7 seats, but at the same time, only children will be able to accommodate in the "gallery" with more or less decent comfort.
Note that even in the 7-seater version, this compact off-road conqueror does not lose in the useful volume of the trunk, since the third row folds into an almost flat floor due to the transfer of the spare wheel from the niche in the trunk under the bottom of the car.
With a five-seater layout, the trunk of the "Briton" holds 829 liters of luggage (in more expensive configurations, a sliding second row of seats allows you to increase this figure to 981 liters), and with seven seats it remains purely nominal - only 194 liters. With two passengers "on board", the cargo hold reaches 1698 liters and at the same time exhibits a completely flat floor. In a niche under the raised floor "hide" a compact spare wheel and a set of tools.
Specifications. In Russia, the Land Rover Discovery Sport SUV is offered with three engines: one gasoline and two diesel units.
- The only gasoline engine Si4 received 4 in-line cylinders with a total displacement of 2.0 liters, a 16-valve timing, turbocharging, two balance shafts, direct fuel injection and a variable valve timing system. The maximum power of the petrol power plant is 240 hp, and the peak torque reaches 340 Nm. With a gasoline engine, Discovery Sport can accelerate to a maximum speed of 200 km / h, gain the first 100 km / h in 8.2 seconds, and also “eat” about 6.7 liters of gasoline in a combined operation cycle.
- The list of diesel engines opens the unit TD4... It also received 4 in-line cylinders, but with a displacement of 2.0 liters. The equipment of the diesel "kid" includes a 16-valve timing, direct fuel injection and a turbocharging system. The output of the TD4 engine is declared by the manufacturer at 150 hp, and its torque is 380 Nm, available already at 1700 rpm. The younger diesel engine is able to accelerate this car from 0 to 100 km / h in 10.3-11.7 seconds and provide a maximum speed of 180 km / h, while spending about 5.3-5.7 liters of fuel per 100 km in the combined cycle ...
- The top line of the engine line in Russia is occupied by another 2.0-liter 4-cylinder diesel SD4, which is also equipped with a 16-valve timing and direct injection. The power of the more forced engine reaches 180 hp, but the peak torque is equal to the same 430 Nm as that of the younger diesel. With this engine, the new SUV is capable of reaching a maximum speed of 188 km / h with a starting acceleration from 0 to 100 km / h in 8.9 seconds. Note that the average fuel consumption of the SD4 engine in the combined cycle is about 5.6 liters.
In Russia, all three motors are already in the base equipped with Start / Stop systems and braking energy recuperation. As a gearbox, all three engines receive a 9-speed automatic transmission ZF 9HP48, however, a 6-speed "mechanics" is joined by default with the "junior" diesel engine.
There are some disappointments about Discovery Sport. For example, many expected that the novelty would receive some kind of a new ultra-modern platform, but "alas and ah" - it is based on the already familiar LR-MS bogie from Range Rover Evoque, albeit with a completely redesigned suspension: an independent MacPherson-type front with a lightweight design due to aluminum steering knuckles, and behind the "multi-link" with a little more aluminum components, "planted" on a steel subframe.
As an option, the Discovery Sport suspension can be equipped with MagneRide adaptive dampers. The front wheels of the novelty received ventilated disc brakes with discs with a diameter of 325 mm and reinforced calipers of the new generation. The rear wheels are equipped with conventional disc brakes. The rack and pinion steering gear of the SUV is complemented by an electric power steering with variable transmission ratio (EPAS system).
In Europe, Land Rover Discovery Sport gets front-wheel drive in the base, but in Russia "children's" SUVs are not offered, because on our roads, without all-wheel drive, nobody needs it. At the same time, there will be two all-wheel drive systems available with us: a permanent all-wheel drive with a Haldex clutch, as well as a plug-in all-wheel drive Active Driveline (available for diesel versions of an SUV with a 5-seater saloon). In the second case, the SUV gets additional clutch located between the gearbox and the propeller shaft, which disengages the rear axle at speeds above 35 km / h, but if necessary, resumes torque to the rear wheels in just 0.35 seconds.
Available for Discovery Sport and, well known to Land Rover fans, the Terrain Response system, which on cars with MagneRide shock absorbers has a fifth mode of operation ("Dynamic mode") with the maximum optimization of the settings of the onboard systems and components for an active driving style.
You don't even need to write about numerous electronic assistants, Discovery Sport got them in abundance, as befits a car of its level. But a few interesting novelties are still worth mentioning:
- For the first time in the class, and indeed on SUVs, it "flaunts" a pedestrian airbag fired from under the windshield.
- Another interesting addition to the equipment list is the Wade Sensing ford assist system, which uses sensors integrated in the side mirrors to calculate the water depth around the car and report it on the multimedia display.
Options and prices. On the Russian market, the 2016-2017 Land Rover Discovery Sport is presented in four equipment options - "Pure", "SE", "HSE" and "HSE Luxury".
A car in the basic configuration with a 150-horsepower engine and "mechanics" costs from 2,585,000 rubles, and its arsenal includes: seven airbags, ABS, ETC, a soft start function uphill, EBA, EBD, TSA, DSC, two-zone " climate ", rear parking sensors, heated front seats, a multimedia system," music "with six speakers and a bunch of other" gadgets ".
For a car in SE and HSE versions, dealers ask from 2,828,000 and 3,187,000 rubles, respectively, and the "top version" will cost from 3,627,000 rubles. The features of the latter are: adaptive bi-xenon headlights, a panoramic roof, leather trim, front parking sensors, a rear view camera, cruise control, electric front seats, a premium audio system with ten speakers and a subwoofer, a navigator and many other modern systems.
