The Goodwood Test: Land Rover Discovery Sport – Earning The Badge

Heritage

The Disco Sport replaces the old Freelander, a stalwart 4x4 for those wanting the Land Rover badge at a more affordable price and a more manageable size (and without the fashion pretensions of the Evoque). We liked the Freelander (even though we sort of got kidnapped in one in Morocco once by shouty locals who held us in their farmhouse for four hours and force-fed us sweet tea and pastries while watching reruns of Hawaii Five-0 on a dodgy satellite link. But we digress…). So the Discovery Sport follows the Range Rover nomenclature of affixing 'Sport' to the smaller version (smaller, but still with seven seats, the last two popping up out of the boot when required, and really only suitable for children). Got it?

Design

A huge, huge improvement in looks over the outgoing Freelander. The face shares the familiar Land Rover grill and lights, just slightly squeezed and pinched to differentiate this model from the rest of the clan. At the rear, funky LED circular tail-lights complete the pleasing design.

Inside, in the highest trim level, HSE Luxury, it’s a smart, pared-down affair of black leathers and expensive plastics, with the familiar JLR rotary knob for the new nine-speed automatic transmission rising out of a clean surround between the seats while the off-road settings switch sits alongside the ventilation in the central stack. The look strikes that pleasing Land Rover balance between utilitarian and stylish.

The best aspect is the touschreen which, in home mode, splits into four windows - iPhone connectivity showing a telephone box and your name, satnav which shows whichever road you’re on, climate which displays weather and outside temperature, and media. Like everything in a Land Rover, it’s useful, simple, smart and satisfying.

Performance

We tested the 2.0-litre TD4 diesel, mated to the nine-speed auto. After driving a Volvo XC90 for four months, the Disco Sport feels lively in the extreme, with a sensitive throttle pedal delivering revs and power instantly. It’s an SUV, not a sports car, so there’s 180bhp on offer and 317 lb ft of torque, but we took six boys to a party in it and it wasn’t vaguely troubled by the load. In fact, this new diesel until is highly impressive; it sounds and acts more like a petrol engine, revving quietly and smoothly, and returned an average 40mpg during our week with it, which was a mixture of motorways and city driving. Does the gearbox need nine cogs? The jury’s out, but it certainly doesn’t harm the driving experience – you don’t feel the ‘box hunting around or changing its mind.

Passion

This car has got Land Rover stamped all the way through it, from the smart design to the capable performance. We just wish a tenth of Land Rover owners would actually challenge their cars off-road, to see what the vehicle they bought can actually do. It seems a criminal waste to put that much British engineering magic into a car that will be driven to Waitrose and back. Still, despite the Tarmac brigade replacing the wellies brigade as primary customers for these cars, passion for the badge remains utterly undimmed, and long may that remain the case.

Price of our test car: £47,475, inc £4,475 options