Land Rover Discovery Sport review

You might associate the word ‘Sport’ with a high-performance car or, at the very least, something with racy looks – but there are a few notable exceptions. The Land Rover Discovery Sport is a prime contender; it’s a large SUV that offers a more compact and affordable alternative to the enormous Discovery.

Peer beneath the surface and you’ll find the Discovery Sport actually has more in common with the Range Rover Evoque than with its big brother. However, where the Evoque focuses on chiselled, catwalk styling, the Discovery Sport has boxier lines to create a more spacious interior for families.

There’s plenty of room for five, while all but the front-wheel-drive D165 and plug-in hybrid P300e models have a third row for seven-seat practicality. And yes, you read that correctly, this is a Land Rover that you can buy without four-wheel drive, but only the D165; all the other engines come with four-wheel drive. 

An update in 2020 tweaked the Discovery Sport’s exterior looks and gave it a much plusher, more practical interior, as well as bringing more sophisticated infotainment. It also brought mild hybrid technology to most of the engines; the theory being to reduce fuel consumption and emissions. 

Even though it’s much cheaper than the bigger Land Rover Discovery, the Sport still competes with upmarket models, such as the five-seat Audi Q5 and BMW X3, or the seven-seat Mercedes GLB. You might also be considering non-premium seven seaters, like the Peugeot 5008 and Skoda Kodiaq, which offer similar practicality for less money. 

Read on for our in-depth review, including which versions make the most sense. And, if you’re ready to splash the cash, our New Car Buying service is waiting to help you save thousands on a Land Rover Discovery Sport or any number of other new cars.