Land Rover Unveils New Discovery Sport With Mild Hybrid Powertrain

Land Rover has taken the wrap off the new Discovery Sport, which now comes with new exterior and interior features, as well as new electrified powertrain options.

Similar to the new Evoque, the new Discovery Sport is built on Land Rover’s new Premium Transverse Architecture (PTA) which accommodates new electrified engines, including a 48-volt mild hybrid.

The new body is also 13 per cent stiffer than its predecessor, with rigidly-mounted subframes that reduce noise and vibration intrusion into the cabin, improving comfort and providing maximum safety in the event of a collision.

On the exterior, key design cues including the clamshell bonnet, new signature LED lamps at the front and rear, a new front grille, new bumpers, as well as the signature beltline and tapered roof which have been carried over from the outgoing model.

In terms of dimensions, the new Discovery Sport is 2 mm shorter and 3 mm taller than the outgoing model. Besides that, the width and the wheelbase length of 2,741 mm remains.

Inside, the new Discovery Sport offers a more flexible seating arrangement than before, with up to 24 combinations for enhanced versatility.  Land Rover says that the materials used inside the Discovery are also more premium than the outgoing model.

Infotainment is taken care by the latest version of Land Rover’s Touch Pro system with a 10.25-inch touch screen similar to what we have in the Velar.

Other new features include new seats, a smart rear-view mirror, ClearSight ground view which shows a 180-degree view beneath the vehicle onto the touchscreen, wireless charging, 4G WiFi hotspot, USB and 12-volt connectivity points on every row, as well as individual heating and ventilation controls for all seats. Speaking of seats, the second row offers 40:20:40 split fold and slide functionality, in addition to the split-folding third row seats.

Offered in four trim levels, (S, SE, HSE, R-Dynamic) the new Discovery Sport comes with a choice of two petrol engines (200 PS and 249 PS) and three diesel engine options (150 PS, 180 PS, and 240 PS).

Out of the lot, the 150 PS diesel engine is paired to a 6-speed manual gearbox, while the rest of the lot get a nine-speed automatic gearbox and Land Rover’s AWD system.

The AWD models also benefit from Driveline Disconnect – a Power Transfer Unit at the front axle that disconnects drive to the rear wheels under steady state cruising, reducing frictional losses and re-engaging AWD in less than 500 milliseconds.

Capable of wading 600 mm-deep water, the new Discovery Sport comes with Terrain Response 2 system which automatically detects the surface and adjusts the torque delivery to best suit the conditions, and the Advanced Tow Assist which makes reversing with a trailer (up to 2,500kg) safer.

Available in the Discovery Sport for the first time is the new 48-volt mild hybrid electric vehicle (MHEV) powertrain, which uses an belt-integrated starter generator to harvest energy normally during deceleration and braking, and stores it in an under-floor battery.

At speeds below 17km/h, the engine will shut off when the driver applies the brakes, before redeploying the stored energy to assist the engine under acceleration to reduce fuel consumption.

According to Land Rover, an even more efficient plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV) model, and a three-cylinder petrol Ingenium engine will also join the range later in 2019.

Other safety and driver assistance systems include Adaptive Cruise Control with Steering Assist, Lane Keep Assist, Autonomous Emergency Braking, and Driver Condition Monitor.