What compromise did the creators of Land Rover Discovery Sport achieve?

It is modern, comfortable, dynamic, good-looking and does not give up on off-road conditions. The only thing he lacks is individuality. It seems that the new Discovery Sport turned out to be similar to all Land Rovers at the same time.

The interior is largely reminiscent of the Range Rover Evoque, but is more modestly designed

Photo: Kommersant / Dmitry Lebedev / buy photo

On the central tunnel there is only a selector washer and an electric parking brake; the off-road mode selection keys are located above

Photo: Kommersant / Dmitry Lebedev / buy photo

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Ground clearance of 212 mm and relatively comfortable suspension make it possible not to reduce speed on country roads

Photo: Kommersant / Dmitry Lebedev / buy photo

There is no need to be afraid of hangings - the locks work as they should and when needed

Photo: Kommersant / Dmitry Lebedev / buy photo

The tires failed on a difficult section, but we managed to evaluate the off-road potential

Photo: Kommersant / Dmitry Lebedev / buy photo

In the seven-seater version, the seats can be almost completely hidden in the floor, freeing up space for luggage

Photo: Kommersant / Dmitry Lebedev / buy photo

The interior is largely reminiscent of the Range Rover Evoque, but is more modestly designed

Photo: Kommersant / Dmitry Lebedev / buy photo

On the central tunnel there is only a selector washer and an electric parking brake; the off-road mode selection keys are located above

Photo: Kommersant / Dmitry Lebedev / buy photo

ILYA ZINOVIEV

Famous surname

When it comes to car families, I am always interested in the question: who is called what and why. Take our test car, the Land Rover Discovery Sport, for example. Judging by the name, it seems to be a successor to the glorious traditions of the “big” Discovery - a Camel Trophy veteran and a recognized off-road conqueror. It appeared in the model line, replacing the Land Rover Freelander - the youngest and most affordable model in the family. And at the same time it looks more like a completely different relative - smaller in size, but senior in rank, Range Rover Evoque. So figure out what the cunning marketers wanted to tell us.

It's easy to assume that the Discovery Sport was made to cater to those who like the Evoque but can't afford to drive a small car. At one time, we ourselves were convinced that fitting two child seats into the fashionable three-door Evoque is an extremely difficult task. And not everything worked out with his trunk in this life: even a couple of adult bicycles can’t fit, what can we talk about? Personally, I have always really liked the Evoque, but the deliberate impracticality inherent in the coupe, in my opinion, does not fit well with the very idea of a crossover. And the five-door Evoque, while a little more comfortable, doesn't look nearly as cool. When I saw the pre-production Discovery Sport at the Paris Motor Show last September, I even shuddered: here it is! The new car promised to be not only interesting in appearance, but also comfortable. Climbing into the back row and crossing my legs, I rejoiced at the fashionable, almost Evoque-like interior and at the same time the spaciousness, high ceiling and large trunk, which even had room for a third row of seats.

You might also think that the Discovery Sport's creators were thinking about buyers who liked the big Discovery IV, but were not willing to spend money on horsepower they didn't need in everyday life, or on purely off-road options like air suspension. About those who do not regularly travel to hunting grounds and who do not need to carry their own fishing boat on a trailer. And about those who, nevertheless, are not alien to the spirit of adventure and travel, and therefore the values of the Land Rover brand.

And of course, it is worth assuming that those who built our Discovery Sport could not ignore the current Freelander buyers. Because otherwise these poor fellows will have nowhere to go. Nowadays you can still find the good old and relatively inexpensive Freelander II on sale from officials, but soon it will completely disappear, and where then can you get a high hood, a commanding position and the cross-country ability praised by the manufacturer? In fact, don’t run around to car dealerships of other brands. And here - here's a replacement for you. It was, of course, more expensive, but it was also bigger and looked much more modern.

Now, carefully examining the already live, production, and not an exhibition car, I understand that I still cannot say unambiguously which of the already known Land Rover models the new Discovery Sport is closer to. Let's take the interior - it seems, yes, very similar to the Evoque, but not Evoque at all. Both the materials and design are more modest. On the central tunnel, where the automatic transmission selector puck lives, there is some kind of completely non-premium plastic, and right under the nose of the front passenger there is a cigarette lighter socket sticking out, and even with a clumsy cover on a spring. The joints and gaps are not ideal everywhere, the clarity of the image on the central screen is so-so.

It’s also impossible to say that the interior of the new car is more reminiscent of a Freelander or Discovery IV. Where is that commander’s position: I sit high, I look far away, and there’s still half a meter above my head? Where are the height-adjustable armrests attached to the backs of the front seats? It’s comfortable to sit in the Discovery Sport, but those dear Land Rover features are not here, although the power window panel is moved up, and the emblem on the steering wheel reminds me that I’m driving a Briton. By the way, the interface of the on-board system also does not let you forget about this: here, as in older Land Rovers, the graphics are just as laconic and the control algorithm is just as far from optimal. If you want to turn off the seat heating, go to the on-screen menu. If you want to change the direction of the air flow of the ventilation system, go there. Even manually setting up the radio on the go is an adventure. It’s spacious in the back, but you can’t easily get comfortable with a Berdanka. There is plenty of legroom, comfortable armrests on the sides, and the seats are adjustable. But the new model does not have a high roof, like the large Discovery.

Our car gives you an interesting feeling: on the one hand, you understand that you are watching something truly new, on the other hand, it seems that you have already seen all this new stuff somewhere.

Trouser test

I am ready to hug, kiss and call the person who came up with the idea of making SUV doors that close the thresholds a friend to the grave. It’s hard to imagine how much this far-sighted stranger has saved in pants for owners who live in a year-round grimy area like ours. Show me your trousers and I'll tell you if you're driving the right car. Clean pants in any weather are a sign of true premium class. Our Land Rover Discovery Sport has covered sills - accordingly, this is a proper premium car, and there is no need to write further about it. But seriously, it’s difficult to say anything truly interesting about the Land Rover Discovery Sport. My colleague and I tested the gasoline and diesel modifications for almost two weeks, and the impressions made the cat cry.

I'm again trying to compare the Discovery Sport with other Land Rover models, but in this way: the engine is like this one, the suspension is like that one, but softer, and the steering wheel is something in between. I don’t know how it happened, but the people from Jaguar-Land Rover, creators of very bright and original cars, managed to build a car that is lost in the lineup. This is roughly how the successes of an ordinary excellent student pale in comparison to the talents of child prodigies.

As a conscientious achiever, Discovery Sport easily copes with a standard set of tasks: dynamics, handling, comfort, ergonomics - it is excellent everywhere. Nevertheless, in all disciplines individually, he loses to the brightest individuals from his own team. Let me explain. Our Discovery Sport seems to have the same engines and gearboxes as the Range Rover Evoque, but accelerates worse because it is heavier. It has a slightly different suspension design, and therefore less composure, more roll and sway. It is significantly more expensive than the outgoing Freelander II, but it can hardly be considered much more spacious and comfortable. The third row of seats is certainly a good selling point for the Discovery Sport, but it's not a selling point for everyone.

We tested the car off-road, and made a special trip to the training ground where Land Rover holds its events: Discovery Sport, as expected, did not put the brand to shame in any way, but it also did not impress us with any outstanding off-road talents. All mechanical and electronic assistants work flawlessly, the geometry is correct, the main thing is to compare the scale of the obstacle with the far from limitless capabilities of an essentially urban car, and everything will be fine.

A few words about comfort. A gasoline car is significantly superior to a diesel one in this parameter. This is especially noticeable at idle, when vibrations characteristic of a diesel engine can be felt on the plastic panels in the cabin, on the seats, pedals and steering wheel. As the speed increases, the vibration goes away, but acoustic discomfort comes - the engine runs on heavy fuel and sounds heavier. The petrol Discovery Sport is much more delicate in this regard; at idle it is practically inaudible at all, and it does not vibrate at all.

However, if you close your eyes to the specifics of the diesel version, you can give the Discovery Sport a high rating for overall comfort. Yes, the interior is not as luxurious as in older models, but overall the car makes the owner feel that life is more likely to be successful than not. Nice leather, high-quality audio system, interesting lighting inside and smart light outside, sensors, video cameras, various electronic assistants - you can’t list it all. I counted five USB connectors alone: two in the back, for children, two in the front, for adults, and one additional one for the cat Murka, so he can also feel the quality of life.

It seems to me that the Land Rover brand is now at such a level of development that it can make cars of any height, length and capacity, and they will all be of high quality and comfortable. Technologies allow: there are modern engines - from small turbo engines to eight-cylinder monsters, there are high-speed multi-stage gearboxes, there are suspensions, a bunch of electronic systems, strong developments in design... The fact that the car turned out to be so good in terms of performance parameters is okay of things. It's strange that he turned out to be so faceless. Still, from Land Rover you expect not just a technically advanced car - you also expect individuality, originality, and originality. And in our case, even the name “Discovery Sport” does not look original - both words were borrowed from other models.

Land Rover Discovery Sport

Modification 2.0 Si42.2 SD4

Dimensions, length / width / height (mm)	4599/2069/1724	4599/2069/1724
Drive unit	Full	Full
Engine (type)	Gasoline, supercharged	Turbodiesel
Volume (l)	2.0	2.2
Power (hp)	240	190
Torque (Nm)	340	420
Transmission	9-speed automatic transmission	9-speed automatic transmission
Price (thousand rubles)	From 2836	From 2758

Possible competitors of Land Rover Discovery Sport

ModelEngine/transmissionPrice in Moscow
(thousand roubles.)

BMW X3 28i xDrive	Gasoline 2.0 l (245 hp) / automatic transmission	From 2830
Audi Q5 3.0TFSI quattro	Diesel 3.0 l (272 hp) / automatic transmission	From 2862
Mercedes-Benz GLK 300	Gasoline 3.5 l (250 hp) / automatic transmission	From 2890

How much does a Land Rover Discovery Sport cost?

PAYMENT FOR TRAVEL

In Russia, Land Rover Discovery Sport is available with three engines: one petrol and two diesels. The latter have the same volume - 2.2 liters, but different power - 150 and 190 liters. With. Gasoline unit parameters: 2.0 l., 240 l. With. The transmission is the same for all engines - a 9-speed automatic, the drive is permanent all-wheel drive with the ability to select driving modes.

The simplest and cheapest is the version with a 150-horsepower diesel engine in the SE configuration: from 2.36 million rubles. The most expensive and complete set of HSE Luxury with a gasoline engine costs from 3.097 million rubles. You can equip the car even more: the test Discovery Sport with a gasoline engine already cost 3.687 million rubles, with a diesel engine - 3.667 million rubles.

According to the portal ilsa.ru, at the time of preparation of this publication, Moscow dealers had six new Discovery Sport available for free sale - five diesel and one petrol. All in a rather rich design at a price from 3.133 million to 3.902 million rubles.

The car warranty is three years or 100 thousand km. Service interval - 13 thousand km. Cost of the first maintenance: for gasoline versions - about 20 thousand rubles. for each service, for diesel engines - from 21 to 26 thousand rubles. depending on mileage.

The cost of the first year of comprehensive insurance for both engine modifications is approximately the same - from 250 thousand rubles. Compulsory motor liability insurance for a year - 10,982 rubles, transport tax for the diesel version - 9.5 thousand rubles, for gasoline - 18 thousand rubles.

Aristocrat without any special features