Land Rover reveals all-new 2020 Discovery Sport
The 2020 Discovery Sport might not look it, but it's actually all-new. First introduced in 2014, as the successor to the Freelander line, the Discovery Sport is the best-selling and most affordable Land Rover, slotting in under the Range Rover Evoque, with the Range Rover Velar and full-size Discovery at the other end. The all-new Discovery Sport continues tradition, in offering a 5+2 seating layout, as well as the legendary off-road capabilities with all-wheel drive and the second-generation of Land Rover's active driveline system, dubbed Terrain Response 2.
Based on the new Premium Transverse Architecture, as on the new Evoque, the Disco Sport will benefit from electrified powertrains and a 13 per cent stiffer body. Styling wise the biggest change is front end styling which now resembles the full-size Discovery more. The new model can be told apart from the outgoing one most easily by the distinctive W-shape of the LED DRLs housed in the headlight unit. The overall styling carries forward largely unchanged, with the changes mostly restricted to new bumpers front and rear. Viewed from the rear, the tailgate on the new Discovery Sport appears more abrupt, as a result of the more interior space Land Rover claims this model will offer.
The Discovery Sport will offer a 48V mild-hybrid option, available across the range of four-cylinder diesel and petrol Ingenium engines, with both front-wheel drive and all-wheel drive variants available. The system will assist the engine under acceleration, and will kick in under braking at speeds under 17kmph, when the engine switches off. On demand all-wheel drive is available, and the system will disconnect drive to the rear wheels when not needed, further helping CO2 emissions and efficiency. Notably, the new Discovery Sport is the first Land Rover to certify to upcoming RDE2 (Real Driving Emissions Stage 2) in the UK.
The cabin, too, is an evolution of the current Disco Sport's interiors. Gone is the rotary gear knob, and in its place a gear lever, set in an exposed gate, like on the larger vehicles in the range. Infotainment will be handled by a single 10.25-inch touchscreen, as part of the InControl Touch Pro system, and will offer Apple/Android integration. It will also benefit from the ClearSight Ground View tech, which can display a camera view of under the car to help navigate high kerbs. Similarly, the smart rear view camera system displays a camera view right in the rear view mirror, for situations when the driver's view is obstructed by objects in the second/third rows.