Over the years your www.carshowroom.com.au has logged thousands of kilometers in various Land Rover Freelander models, Discovery and Range Rovers and there’s no doubt in our mind the Indian-owned British marquee continues to set the global benchmark for these types of vehicles.
So we’re counting the sleeps until May when the all-new Land Rover Discovery Sport (the replacement for the Freelander) arrives and we get some ‘seat time’.
As we’ve seen in the pics, the all-new Land Rover Discovery Sport looks absolutely brilliant and now comes the good news that the lineup will range from just $53,300 (admittedly $11,000 north of the current Freelander) to $69,000 (just $400 more than the current range-topping SD4 HSE Luxury).
A seven-seat configuration is available.
Under the bonnet the choices will be 177kW/340Nm for the Si4 petrol, 110kW/420Nm for the TD4 diesel or 140kW/420m for the SD4 diesel.
Transmission offerings are six-speed manual or nine-speed automatic.
The Discovery Sport will arrive in the usual Land Rover model names – SE, HSE and HSELuxury.
Highlights are:
Entry-grade SE runs 18-inch alloy wheels, 10-speaker audio and a centre-console eight-inch touchscreen.
Mid-grade HSW scores 19-inch alloys, 11-speaker, 250-watt audio, rear LED lights and some extra chrome.
HSE Luxury goes all-out with Windsor leather seats, silver exterior highlights and a 17-speaker sound system.
Then you can opt for ‘Black Design’, ‘Comfort’ and ‘Entertainment’ packs.
Also on the options list are a roof-mounted 360-degree camera system and 20inch alloy wheels (we’re thinking of combining the 20s and a ‘Black Design Pack if you get the drift?).
Most importantly, underneath the Land Rover Discovery Sport rides on a new design MacPherson strut front/independent rear suspension and improved Terrain Response off-road set-up – the combo which Land Rover says delivers improved rear seat and cargo space (541-litres in five-seat models).
In fact Land Rover says with the seats folded flat, the Land Rover Discovery Sport’s cargo area is as long as a Range Rover.
The full lineup is:
| TD4 SE (man) | $53,300 |
| TD4 SE (auto) | $55,800 |
| SD4 SE (man) | $56,500 |
| SD4 SE (auto) | $59,000 |
| TD4 HSE (man) | $57,900 |
| TD4 HSE (auto) | $60,400 |
| Si4 SE (auto) | $59,000 |
| SD4 HSE (man) | $61,100 |
| SD4 HSE (auto) | $63,600 |
| SD4 HSE Luxury (man) | $66,500 |
| SD4 HSE Luxury (auto) | $69,000 |
