Land Rover Discovery Sport D180 2021.

Land Rover Discovery Sport D180 2021.

Land Rover Discovery Sport D180 2021.

Land Rover Discovery Sport, after a recent update, has become a twin of Range Rover Evoque in technical terms, but outwardly the cars have remained quite different: Ewok is still glamorous, Discovery Sport is simpler and more utilitarian.

And it costs a little less. Today, CarsWeek and I are looking at what’s new in the restyled Discovery Sport and how it differs from the Evoque.

Exterior

The 2015 Discovery Sport has been in need of an update for a long time. Restyling made it less simple and made it look much more modern: narrower LED headlights, very beautiful lanterns, neat bumpers — almost a Range Rover!

The solidity of the body is given by the recognizable wide C-pillar and high sheer sidewalls. The dimensions have hardly changed — except that the length has grown by eight millimeters (4597), and the height has grown by three (1727).

The crossover in the «base» is surrounded by unpainted plastic, for a surcharge, you can put an R-Dynamic body kit or paint the roof in a contrasting black color. And the body is in a bright shade like the test car’s Namib Orange.

Interior

The interior has changed more dramatically, although the touch-sensitive center console with a pair of Land Rover touchscreens is not supposed to be in status.

Land Rover Discovery Sport D180 2021.

There is only one screen here — the top one, with a diagonal of the same 10.25 inches. But even in the basic configuration.

The instrument panel is combined: a pair of classic scales with arrows and a color screen in the middle. Quite informative and functional.

The Touch Pro infotainment system is faster than the Range Rover — there is no need for the processor to break into three displays. Salon mirror — with streaming video.

The air conditioning system and the proprietary Terrain Response 2 system are controlled by a black glossy panel with touch buttons and a pair of large multifunctional twists.

To go to the choice of driving modes, you need to press the right knob — you can’t figure it out right away.

As on the Evoque, the beautiful but awkward automatic selector washer has given way to a joystick. Finishing materials are good — there is thicker and rougher than the Range Rover, leather and good plastic.

The steering wheel with a thin rim is large in diameter, as on all Land Rovers, but comfortable. Touch buttons also appeared on the knitting needles.

Land Rover Discovery Sport D180 2021.

The upholstered seats are comfortable, and the back sofa is still full of room — and in all directions, which is nice.

The sofa can be moved longitudinally and the backrest divided into three parts can be tilted — convenient!

Even a third row of seats is available as an option. In the five-seater configuration, the trunk is downright huge — 897 liters.

Materials.

The updated Discovery Sport follows the Range Rover Evoque to the new PTA platform. All versions for the European market with automatic transmissions are now hybrid — this is primarily due to the platform change.

But all this is not for us — crossovers for the Russian market have retained the same power units without a starter generator and a lithium-ion battery.

Like the Ewok, there are MacPherson struts in the front, and a multi-link with an integral link in the back. The ground clearance remained the same — 212 millimeters, as well as the ford depth — 600 millimeters.

The drive is full, as an option, there are adaptive shock absorbers, and there is no «pneumatic» at all.

The predominantly steel body became slightly stiffer and received an increased proportion of high-strength and ultra-high-strength alloys.

The curb weight of the crossover has grown by 64-93 kilograms, depending on the modification. Ascent and descent angles — 45 degrees.

Land Rover Discovery Sport D180 2021.

The test Discovery Sport version of the D180 is equipped with a 2.0-liter Ingenium 180-horsepower diesel turbocharger — with a variable geometry turbocharger, active hydraulic mounts, balance shafts and an exhaust phase regulator.

Passability.

The 180-horsepower diesel engine familiar from the Evoque hums softly and, in general, pulls well.

Discovery Sport accelerates, of course, without a spark (9.7 seconds from standstill to 100 km / h), but smoothly and confidently.

There is a slight but still noticeable delay in response to pressing the gas pedal. The lack of traction can be felt only on suburban roads when driving at high speeds — and even then, rather, only when overtaking.

Soundproofing is excellent — the noise level in the cabin is very low, even on the motorway.

The Discovery Sport’s conventional shocks provide a smoother ride than the Range Rover Evoque’s Adaptive struts.

Land Rover marks joints on ramps and sharp-edged pits, but it is softer and more resilient in most situations.

The «thick» tires filter the little things, and the shock absorbers work well on medium and large irregularities.

The crossover does not sway on the wave, it keeps a straight line well and, thanks to the energy reserve, allows you to quickly rush to the dirt road or any other bad road.

The steering wheel is nicely oak — two and a quarter turns from lock to lock. Cornering feedback is more natural and the redesigned Discovery Sport now feels much more alive than the pre-styling model.

True, he is still lurching stronger than the Ewok. As it should be for any Land Rover, it does not miss on the road.

Yes, it does not have differential locks, but they are quite successfully imitated by electronics — the off-road vehicle confidently climbs in the mud. For beginners, there is an off-road cruise control and a descent assistant.

Land Rover Discovery Sport D180 2021.

For a surcharge, there is a function of the so-called «transparent hood» — like the off-road cruise control, it works up to 30 km / h.

In this case, an image is literally transmitted to the screen from under the front wheels.

Finally, the Terrain Response 2 system serves as a great help for dealing with obstacles: you can play with the driving modes, or you can stay in Auto and leave this work to the electronics.

In this, Discovery Sport is clearly stronger than the competition. Another question is whether its customers need it.

Outcome

The simplicity of Discovery Sport against the backdrop of the Evoque is emphasized even by the lack of fashionable pull-out handles.

It is a little easier in everything, but not worse. It’s just that his target audience is a little different. She needs a more practical car, less glamorous and sleek, more passable and spacious inside.

There is no third row of seats on the Range Rover at all. As well as ceiling handles, for example.

The cost of Land Rover Discovery Sport starts at 3,120,000 rubles for the gasoline 200-horsepower version, the diesel D180 costs 3,228,000 rubles, and the top-end 249-horsepower gasoline in R-Dynamic will cost 4,334,000 rubles.

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