2024 Land Rover Discovery Sport
Overview
While it doesn’t offer the out-and-out luxury experience of the Range Rover, the 2024 Discovery Sport brings an adventurous image to the compact crossover class that its rivals struggle to match. Its standard trail-conquering features include all-wheel drive with terrain-specific drive modes, an off-road cruise control system, and a sophisticated exterior camera system intended to help navigate in tight places. A turbocharged four-cylinder is the only engine offered and it provides adequate if not ample power. The Disco Sport’s outdoorsy approach means compromising on-road refinement, though, and rivals such as the BMW X3, the Porsche Macan, and the Mercedes-Benz GLC-Class all provide more refinement and driver satisfaction, both important traits in this segment.
What’s New for 2024?
Land Rover has given the Discovery Sport a handful of updates for 2024, including new wheel designs, a more sophisticated air purification system, and an updated exterior camera system. The biggest improvement is the addition of a new 11.4-inch infotainment touchscreen. This curved-glass panel has been lifted from other JLR products—including big brothers Discovery and Defender. The center console and steering wheel have also been revised and the Discovery Sport now comes standard with a wireless smartphone charging pad, USB-C charging ports, and a digital gauge display. The lineup has been distilled from four trim levels to just two—S and Dynamic SE—and both see a price hike, giving the compact Land Rover a starting price of over $50,000.
Pricing and Which One to Buy
Although it’s the entry point to the Discovery Sport, we’d stick with the S model. It comes with plenty of creature comforts and convenience features, including power front seats, a Meridian stereo system, a digital gauge display, wireless smartphone charging, and a panoramic glass roof. We’d splurge on the Comfort package, which adds ambient interior lighting, rear climate controls, and a cabin air purification system.
Engine, Transmission, and Performance
Every Discovery Sport has a turbocharged four-cylinder powertrain that makes 246 horsepower. Of course, standard all-wheel drive—along with a host of optional trail-rated equipment—helps the Sport glide over bumpy terrain and weather any storm. The Disco Sport can even wade into as much as 23.6 inches of water (for those who dare) and tow up to 4409 pounds. We tested a 2020 model with the 246-hp engine and found it to be rather sluggish; throttle response is lazy, and the Disco Sport requires 7.5 seconds to reach 60 mph. Handling isn’t particularly crisp, so don’t expect to wring thrills from curvy back roads. On the plus side, the Discovery Sport delivers a comfortable ride for cruising.
More on the Discovery Sport SUV
Fuel Economy and Real-World MPG
The Discovery Sport’s EPA fuel-economy estimates are 19 mpg city, 23 mpg highway, and 20 mpg combined. Compared with other luxury compact SUVs, the Land Rover is thirsty. It was particularly greedy for fuel during our 75-mph highway fuel-economy test, where it delivered a lackluster 21 mpg. Even the six-cylinder BMW X3 M40i managed 29 mpg in our testing, and other all-wheel-drive rivals, such as the Acura RDX, managed 25 mpg. For more information about the Discovery Sport’s fuel economy, visit the EPA’s website.
Interior, Comfort, and Cargo
With a dashboard design that mimics what’s in flashier and pricier Land Rovers, the Discovery Sport maintains the brand’s upscale image. The cabin now offers sustainable materials and more seat configurations for better versatility. The seats in our test vehicle were comfortable enough for several long-haul trips lasting four hours or so. Base models come well equipped with such luxuries as heated front seats, a heated steering wheel, a fixed-glass panoramic roof, dual-zone automatic climate control, faux-leather upholstery, and 12-way power-adjustable front seats; a pair of third-row jump seats are optional. The Discovery Sport holds 28 cubic feet of cargo behind its second row. That’s three cubes better than what the Audi Q5 can boast but falls short of the 30-cubic-foot space in the tail of the Cadillac XT5.
The Car and Driver Difference
Infotainment and Connectivity
All Discovery Sport models come with an 11.4-inch infotainment touchscreen featuring Land Rover’s latest Pivi Pro interface and a digital gauge display. Wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are both standard, and other infotainment features such as a mobile hotspot and a head-up display are optional. All models come with a premium Meridian stereo system.
How to Buy and Maintain a Car
Safety and Driver-Assistance Features
Land Rover offers plenty of safety features including everything from advanced camera systems to the usual array of contemporary driver and safety assists. The latter includes adaptive cruise control, automated emergency braking with forward-collision detection, lane-keeping assist, and more. For more information about the Discovery Sport’s crash-test results, visit the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) websites. Key safety features include:
Standard automated emergency braking with pedestrian detection Standard lane-departure warning with lane-keeping assist Available adaptive cruise control
Warranty and Maintenance Coverage
Land Rover’s standard warranty holds up to rivals’ but offers no frills. The X3 and even corporate siblings from Jaguar offer a period of free scheduled maintenance, but buyers of the Discovery Sport will be left paying those bills out of pocket.
Limited warranty covers four years or 50,000 miles Powertrain warranty covers four years or 50,000 miles No complimentary scheduled maintenanceArrow pointing downArrow pointing down
Specifications
Specifications
2020 Land Rover Discovery Sport SE P250
VEHICLE TYPE
front-engine, all-wheel-drive, 7-passenger, 4-door wagon
PRICE AS TESTED
$53,775 (base price: $45,595)
ENGINE TYPE
turbocharged and intercooled DOHC 16-valve inline-4, aluminum block and head, direct fuel injection
Displacement
122 in3, 1997 cm3
Power
246 hp @ 5500 rpm
Torque
269 lb-ft @ 1400 rpm
TRANSMISSION
9-speed automatic
CHASSIS
Suspension (F/R): struts/multilink
Brakes (F/R): 13.7-in vented disc/12.8-in disc
Tires: Pirelli Scorpion Zero All Season PNCS, 235/50R-20 104W M+S JLR
DIMENSIONS
Wheelbase: 107.9 in
Length: 181.0 in
Width: 75.0 in
Height: 68.0 in
Passenger volume: 124 ft3
Cargo volume: 4 ft3
Curb weight: 4658 lb
C/D TEST RESULTS
Rollout, 1 ft: 0.3 sec
60 mph: 7.5 sec
100 mph: 21.7 sec
120 mph: 38.8 sec
Rolling start, 5–60 mph: 8.5 sec
Top gear, 30–50 mph: 4.5 sec
Top gear, 50–70 mph: 5.9 sec
¼-mile: 15.8 sec @ 86 mph
Top speed (governor limited): 132 mph
Braking, 70–0 mph: 168 ft
Roadholding, 300-ft-dia skidpad: 0.83 g
C/D FUEL ECONOMY
Observed: 19 mpg
75-mph highway driving: 21 mpg
Highway range: 370 miles
EPA FUEL ECONOMY
Combined/city/highway: 21/19/24 mpg
More Features and Specs
