Used 2020 Land Rover Discovery Sport

#14 in Best Small Luxury SUVs of 2020

The Land Rover Discovery Sport is the entry model in the lineup, and compared to the Land Rover Discovery, the Sport has a 7-inch-shorter wheelbase and is 14 inches shorter overall. The Sport competes against other compact SUVs such as the Mercedes-Benz GLC class, the BMW X3 and the Acura RDX.

Although it’s the smallest Land Rover, the Discovery Sport is big on off-road ability, with standard all-wheel drive, hill-descent control, and all-terrain progress control, the latter two acting as off-road cruise control, making driving in difficult terrain super easy.

All that hardware is heavy, though, and with the standard engine — 246-horsepower turbocharged 4-cylinder — acceleration isn’t terribly energetic, and fuel economy is disappointing. A 286-horsepower turbo-4 is exclusive to the most expensive model.

Unusual for a compact SUV, Land Rover offers a 3rd-row seat in the 2020 Discovery Sport but it is truly child-sized, and it robs nearly all the cargo space when in use. The Discovery Sport makes more sense as a 4- or 5-person conveyance, with spacious 2nd-row accommodations and a handsome interior.

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Despite its name, the Discovery Sport is not particularly sporty. Acceleration is unhurried with the base engine. With the standard suspension, the Discovery Sport leans somewhat in corners although body control ultimately is fairly good. Adaptive dampers are available and include selectable drive modes, but were not on the example we drove.

We drove the P250 model, which is powered by a 246-horsepower turbocharged 2.0-liter inline-4. It was a Euro-spec vehicle that had a mild-hybrid (MHEV) system that is supposed to smooth throttle response and aid fuel economy, but the U.S. does not get the MHEV system with that engine. Even with the MHEV assist, the P250 engine suffers some lag in acceleration, as the turbo takes a moment to kick in and the 9-speed automatic usually has to downshift a couple of gears before the Discovery Sport squirts ahead.

Off-road, the Discovery Sport stands above its peers. On steep descents, the vehicle was able to walk itself down using the standard hill-descent control, and all-terrain progress control kept us going as we climbed slippery rock surfaces. Ground clearance is 8.3 inches, and the Land Rover can traverse 23.6 inches of water (an available camera system can even measure the water’s depth for you).

While the exterior is little changed, the Discovery Sport interior has been completely redesigned for 2020, and its clean, upscale look echoes that of the larger Discovery and the fancier Range Rovers. There’s virtually no visible hard plastic, and the example we drove was nicely finished despite being a relatively modest S-trim level (SE and HSE interiors are even richer). The standard 10-inch touch screen now supports Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, and we found it to be lag-free. A digital instrument cluster and a head-up display are new options.

A 3rd-row seat (a $1,200 option) is a rarity in this class, but it’s suitable only for tiny tykes and when it’s in use the luggage space all but disappears. (Buyers seeking a true 3-row SUV should look instead at the Discovery.) The Sport’s 2nd-row seat, however, is spacious, and slides fore-and-aft and reclines.

We found the driving position slightly awkward, though, as the dead pedal under the driver’s left foot is uncomfortably close.

The Discovery Sport exterior design closely parallels that of its bigger brother, the Land Rover Discovery. The Sport’s styling is only slightly tweaked for 2020, with reworked LED headlights and taillights and a restyled lower front fascia. The S, SE, and HSE trim levels can be had in R-Dynamic form, which brings a sportier look with monochrome lower-body elements and black trim as well as specific wheel designs.

CLEARSIGHT GROUND VIEW
The 2020 Discovery Sport is available with a phalanx of cameras, and one particularly neat trick is their ability to stitch together a view of the road under the front of the vehicle as if the hood and the front structure were see-through; that’s ClearSight Ground View. Included with that feature is Drive Assist, which shows what’s immediately alongside the front wheels as well as what’s just ahead. Both are particularly useful in off-road situations where you want to precisely place the front tires but it’s also useful in the urban jungle, nosing in toward high curbs or maneuvering in tight spaces.

CLEARSIGHT REAR VIEW
The ClearSight interior rearview mirror is another camera-based new feature of the 2020 Discovery Sport. This option allows the driver to switch between a standard inside mirror and a rear-camera mirror that shows a feed from a rear-facing rooftop camera. The advantage of the camera feed is that the view rearward is unobstructed by the rear pillars, rear-seat passengers or a fully loaded cargo area. The feed also shows a wider field of view.

Unlike some compact SUVs, all-wheel drive is standard here. Low-speed forward-collision warning with automated emergency braking also is standard, and includes pedestrian and cyclist detection. All models get a 10-inch touch screen with sharp graphics and a customizable home screen, although Apple CarPlay and Android Auto cost extra (they’re standard on higher trims). Some other items missing from the base version are keyless entry, a power liftgate and satellite radio.

Third-row seats are a $1,200 option, although we suspect they won’t be terribly useful for most buyers. Blind-spot warning, adaptive cruise control, and high-speed automatic emergency braking comprise the Drive Package and represent a useful bundle of safety and convenience features.

Land Rover’s Activity Key is a Fitbit-style wristband that can lock and unlock the vehicle, so you don’t have to carry your key fob. Wireless-device charging is just $100 for most models or is part of the Technology Package along with a head-up display, rear-camera mirror, and (in the models that don’t already have it) the digital instrument cluster.

Advanced Tow Assist allows you to guide a trailer when reversing just by turning a dash-mounted knob — the car then steers for you.

All 2020 Land Rover Discovery Sport P250 models are powered by a 2.0-liter turbocharged 4-cylinder with 246 horsepower. The P290 HSE R-Dynamic gets a 286-horsepower version of the same engine, bolstered by a 48-volt mild-hybrid system. The mild-hybrid system (MHEV) doesn’t boost engine output or allow the vehicle to drive on battery power alone, but it is claimed to increase fuel economy slightly and smooth throttle response.

According to Land Rover, with the 246-horsepower P250 engine the Discovery Sport can reach 60 mph in 7.1 seconds, while the 286-horsepower P290 is good for a 6.6-second 0-60 sprint.

Both engines allow for a 4,409-pound towing capacity, whereas compact SUVs typically top out at 3,500 pounds.

2.0-liter turbocharged inline-4
246 horsepower @ 5,500 rpm
269 lb-ft of torque @ 1,400–4,500 rpm
EPA city/highway fuel economy: 19/24 mpg

2.0-liter turbocharged inline-4
286 horsepower @ 5,500 rpm
295 lb-ft of torque @ 1,600–4,500 rpm
EPA city/highway fuel economy: 19/24 mpg