Some years ago, the British automaker created a new corporate plan for its entire lineup. More than just updating its models, the intention was to convert them into a set whose overall image was more desirable. The first step resulted to be Evoque, which gave the Range Rover badge a more contemporary hue. Then, the flagship SUV went through a complete change which only enhanced the values which made it famous in the first place. And the following steps were to reinvent Sport and to add an unprecedented long-wheelbase version, sophisticated enough to compete with any limousine. If you are thinking this was too much talking only about Range Rover, you are right. But Land Rover had to complete that first task. Now it is the time to work on the others.
Despite what the name leads to think, this article’s car actually replaces Freelander, rather than Discovery. The baby SUV is now merged into what will be the Discovery family. It will have several members just like the aforementioned ones, but not that expensive and much more dedicated to carrying people and their luggage. Sport will be the casual sibling here too, besides the new family’s entry-level, and it means the original SUV is still to be updated. That fifth generation will still take inspiration from the Vision concept, showed earlier this year, but it must look less rounded. Freelander’s successor does give Land Rover a family-oriented SUV, but it is very important for the company that you know that this is not a crossover.
Sure, one could make great money by betting that the biggest off-road discovery most Sports will ever make are the other end of gravel driveways, but it will not be Land Rover’s fault. Discovery Sport’s “adventure specifications” might not be comparable to those of its brothers, but having 2.1 cm of ground clearance, 60 cm of wading depth and 25°, 31° and 31° of approach, departure and breakover angles can really spice up a weekend family trip – more than what Audi Q5 or BMW X3 do, at least. Besides, all-wheel-drive settings are controlled by Terrain Response, in order to adapt to multiple driving conditions, and if the situations are “extreme” enough you can even remove the front bumper’s lower trim. It is roughly as capable as Freelander.
However, before worrying about where are you going to drive it first, this vehicle really deserves a good look. Land Rover’s design department has done a great job blending new and traditional features. Sport’s front and rear lights still remind of Evoque’s, but those evidenced C-pillars have been used by Discovery since its initial generation. And if you started to miss Freelander, take a look at the big picture: the new member is less boxy than Discovery but still stays far from Defender, and looks nimbler than the big Range Rovers without resembling smaller cars like Evoque does. And none of that stops it from looking great. This visual balance, which is very hard to achieve in car design, has always been one of Freelander’s best features.
Now, if you want to know where Discovery Sport shows its own merit, open its doors. Evoque’s construction was only carried over up to the B-pillars. The rest sits on an exclusive steel chassis and delivers impressive room for five or seven – with greater focus on the latter. Land Rover claims it overcomes Audi Q5’s numbers with 80-mm bigger legroom and 20% more trunk room while being 40-mm shorter. Besides, the dashboard delegates more functions to physical controls, so as to facilitate the operation for busy parents rather than relying only on a delicate touchscreen. And the new multi-link rear suspension managed to drop the trunk floor, which allowed both easier loading and the very existance of the third row of seats.
When it comes to equipments, mentioning the fact that this car has a lot in common with the equally new Jaguar XE allows to draw the greatest conclusions. Discovery Sport’s trim levels will be SE, SE Tech, HSE and HSE Luxury, and all of them will carry InControl. This is the company’s latest infotainment system, whose interface is claimed to be just like a smartphone’s. The safety package, in turn, even includes a pedestrian airbag similar to Volvo V40’s. The first engine options will be the very same gasoline 2.0L and diesel 2.2L already seen in Evoque, both using four cylinders, turbocharger and ZF’s nine-speed automatic transmission. But in late 2015 you can expect the Ingenium diesel 2.0L to appear too, much more focused on fuel efficiency.
Lançamento no Brasil (05/03/2015)
Embora ele já esteja confirmado para ganhar produção nacional, em 2016, o mais novo Land Rover chega ao país primeiro como importado. Ele sempre traz motor 2.0 turbodiesel de 240 cv e câmbio automático de nove marchas, mas oferece três versões de acabamento. O pacote de entrada tem como destaques sete airbags, ar-condicionado de duas zonas, bancos em couro, câmera de ré, central de entretenimento com tela de 8”, retrovisores elétricos, rodas de liga leve de 18”, start/stop, e o famoso sistema Terrain Response: ele oferece cinco modos de adaptar uma série de parâmetros de funcionamento, de modo a rodar da melhor maneira possível em vários tipos de terreno. Também vem o modo Eco, para economizar combustível.
Sua versão topo-de-linha, HSE Luxury, oferece bancos em couro Windsor e climatizados, farois de xenônio, LEDs diurnos, luzes internas personalizáveis, portas USB para a segunda fileira de bancos, rodas de liga leve de 19”, sistema de áudio Meridian (dezesseis alto-falantes, subwoofer e 825 W), e teto solar panorâmico. O preço inicial é de R$ 179.900, mas a Land Rover oferece também um plano de manutenção especial. Ele custa R$ 990, valerá por cinco anos e contempla a troca de óleo do motor e dos filtros de ar, combustível e fluido de freio, e a mão-de-obra. A versão intermediária, HSE, custa R$ 202.900, ao passo que a HSE Luxury se eleva a R$ 232.000. O preço mais baixo corresponde à SE.