Land Rover is adamant the new discovery sports is not just a replacement for the
geriatric LR2
but really the birth of a whole new family of vehicles designed as a more versatile
alternative to the fashion focused Range Rover Evoque
its arrival to Mercedes GLK the Audi q5
and the BMW x3.
Although it's based on the Evoque Land Rover says that 50 percent of the parts
are new and it certainly looks different. Taking its design ques from the Vision conncept we saw
back in New York last April there's no denying it's a
good-looking SUV but for me I miss some of the chiseled utilitarian chic
of the larger discovery all
or the LR4 as it's known in the U.S.
The biggest change in here compared to the Evoque is the introduction of five-plus
two seating there really is room in here for five properly sized adults although the
two seats in the rear are
best left for kids. This middle row actually slides backwards and forwards
and Land Rover claims that with the seat in its rear most position
there's as much room in here as there is in the big-daddy Range Rover
Now that's impressive
Up front it's all very neat and functional and there's a much needed new
info-tainment system
that hooks up to your smartphone and at last drags Land Rover into the modern age although
don't expect see the stick shift
in the US
Under here you'll find a 2-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine
developing
237 horsepower and mated in the US
to a new 9-speed automatic gearbox ultimately there'll be a choice between
front orl two different kinds a all-wheel-drive system
helping the discovery sport stay true to Land Rover's off-road roots.
In time a discovery family will expand to include a replacement for the current
generation
LR4 for now though there's no denying that the new discovery sport marks a
significant step forward over the old
LR2 and we can't wait to drive it later
this year.