First tested by Driven in Iceland at the start of the year, this replacement for Land Rover’s Freelander 2 still lingers in the memory and thus wins in this hard-fought arena.
The Land Rover Discovery Sport starts at $78,500 and takes on Audi’s Q5, BMW’s X3, Mercedes-Benz’s GLC and the Volvo XC60.
There are two model ranges — the SE and HSE — with a choice of a 2.2-litre diesel engine (producing 110kW in the TD4 or 140kW in the SD4) or a 177kW 2-litre petrol engine for the Si4 models. All the powertrains are paired with a nine-speed automatic transmission.
The four-wheel-drive system includes Land Rover’s Terrain Response system that covers normal road conditions; grass/gravel and snow; mud; and sand.
The standard features in the SE range impressed, with rear parking aid and camera, heated seats and 8in touchscreen while the HSE lineup had the addition of heated and cooled seats, and mood lighting. To help with that family market there is an optional third row of two seats.