Land Rover Discovery Sport review, test drive

What is it like to drive?

The Discovery Sport for India will be offered with a four-cylinder, 2.2-litre diesel engine in two states of tune – 187bhp and 147bhp. This transversally-laid engine will come mated to a nine-speed automatic gearbox. We drove the 187bhp version in testing conditions in frigid Iceland but it was the sections on tarmac that gave us the closest idea of what the Sport would be like in more everyday conditions back home.

Cruising ability, for one, was very good with the engine spinning away quietly and external noise generally well contained. The engine, even in 187bhp form, didn’t feel particularly punchy but produced power in a very pleasant, linear manner. We also found the nine-speed gearbox to go about its business effectively. In fact, it doesn’t feel any different from the more commonplace eight-speed units which is a good thing. You only get the idea of the vast number of ratios when you opt to manually downshift via the paddles from cruising speeds.

Given the conditions we were driving through, Land Rover wisely equipped the test cars with studded tyres. So, we won’t really go into the finer details of ride quality. What we can tell you is that the Sport’s suspension is set up well to offer low speed plushness and good high-speed control. Even through the corners, the Sport felt balanced, tight and confident, if not wildly entertaining. The direct and well-weighted steering did help liven things up, though.

But if there’s one element that the Discovery Sport really impressed us for, it would have to be its off-road ability. We drove over snow, ice, gravel and even through a flowing river, but not once did the Sport flinch. Land Rover’s Terrain Response four-wheel-drive system worked brilliantly across conditions, no doubt helped by the SUV’s good approach, departure and ramp breakover angles, and impressive 600mm wading depth.