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At the height of capability and off road credibility is the entire Land Rover lineup. The Discovery Sport model from Land Rover is made to take on the other compact luxury SUV’s and leave them all behind. With a reasonable price tag and a design and style that allows the interior to feel less like a small SUV and more like a roomy and luxurious ride. The Discovery Sport offers a gentle ride on the road and some serious trail riding equipment when the pavement and blacktop are left behind for greater adventures in the wilderness.
As the best all-around off road vehicle in this class, the Discovery Sport leaves the competition behind. This competition comes in the forms of the BMW X3, Audi Q5, Volvo XC60 and Mercedes-Benz GLK which have all been stalwarts in the class, but the Discovery Sport tops them all for function, comfort, power and in some cases, even the price of the vehicle. As a completely new offering from Land Rover, the Discovery Sport is built to replace the outgoing LR2 model which has had a fantastic run, but has to now make room for a much stealthier design.
For some, driving an SUV that is fully capable of being an off road monster usually means awful driving on roads, which is where a majority of any vehicle’s driving takes place. The Discovery Sport is not like the others and keeps in mind the need to use the vehicle for everyday driving just as much as for the outdoor wilderness adventures that are ahead of this SUV. The Discovery Sport shows off with a suspension that is built to climb rock, logs and boulders, but is soft and supple enough to handle some road imperfections as well. The steering of the Discovery Sport makes the driving control much easier as well with a dynamic electric-assisted steering system that is weighted perfectly for every day driving as much as it is responsive for off road capabilities. Finally, when riding in the Discovery Sport SUV, everyone inside the vehicle can enjoy the benefit of a quiet cabin that allows all to enjoy just what they want to hear and not have to listen to the road noises around the vehicle.
On the Discovery Sport one of the most attractive features is the fixed panoramic roof that covers the length and width of the SUV to give all passengers a great sky view that can be enjoyed during any kind of weather. This feature really allows a connection with nature from inside the SUV and gives a great feeling of wonderment to all occupants.
The Land Rover Discovery Sport offers only one engine to power this awesome SUV. This engine shows up as a 2.0-liter turbocharged inline four-cylinder engine that offers 240 horsepower and 251 lb.-ft. of torque. This power plant is attached to a nine-speed automatic transmission and a Haldex all-wheel drive system that gives the SUV some great performance. With this powertrain underneath the fuel efficiency of the Discovery Sport comes in at 20 city/26 hwy mpg to add a bit of savings at the pump.
The interior of the cabin for the Discovery Sport shows up with a comfortable seating and size that appears to be larger than it does from the outside. All seats are covered in soft leather upholstery and give occupants a fantastic ride from any seat in the vehicle. The Discovery Sport is full of awesome controls and plenty of legroom in every seat along with some easy to enjoy cargo space in the rear to make it easy to take an adventurous weekend anywhere in the local area.
On the outside the Discovery Sport is shorter than many of the competitors but also wider, which is somewhat the secret to why it performs so well off road. The low angle from the hood to the roof, from the high line of the hood, actually assists in the overall aerodynamics of the vehicle. The front offers a growling appearance to give the SUV a look of menacing determination as it heads down trails and roads. The overall appearance of the SUV is one of sophisticated style and well-appointed and lines to give the SUV some great looks and be as functional as possible.
The standard equipment offered for the Discovery Sport base model (SE) shows up with all-wheel drive, the Terrain Response System, Hill Descent Control, push button starting, partial leather upholstery, power adjustable front seats, a USB port up front and two in the rear, a ten speaker audio system, and infotainment system with an eight-inch touch screen and Bluetooth connectivity. The HSE model ups the standard equipment by adding full leather upholstery and the panoramic roof. With all this equipment aboard, the Discovery Sport is an SUV that makes a great choice for any adventure in luxury and style.
The optional features for the Discovery Sport include keyless entry and heated front and rear seats for the SE model. For the HSE and HSE Lux versions the optional features show up as automatic traffic detection and emergency braking. Other optional features include a variety of wheel and paint packages to gain some great looks on the SUV. There is also an option for a third row of seats, but this will greatly diminish the cargo capacity to an almost non-existent level.
Because this is the height of the compact luxury SUV class it would be expected to be the priciest, but the truth is this is one of the most reasonable on the list showing up with a Discovery Sport SE model that is priced around $38,000. Moving up to the HSE the price raises to a $42,500 level that allows the added features to be fully enjoyed. For those wanting the fully loaded, top of the line model, the price starts at $46,500 for the HSE Lux and can reach over $60,000 when adding some of the fantastic options available.
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