2021 Land Rover Discovery Sport

The Land Rover Discovery Sport range starts at $41,900 and culminates at $45,350. This price band includes a total of two trims: S and SE. The base S trim is a very well-equipped one and loads in a lot of features that also act as a base for the higher trims as well. One thing to note is that Land Rover also packs in the R-Dynamic package in both the S and the SE variant, and labels them as individual trims. For the sake of simplicity, we’ve prepared a table summarising the different features on offer on the S and the SE:

The 2021 Land Rover Discovery Sport is a very packed vehicle and brings a lot to the table in terms of luxury amenities and features. As mentioned earlier, LR bundles in the R-Dynamic package to both the trims. What this package brings in is a load of cosmetic upgrades that also add a lot of sportiness to the crossover. Some of the highlighting additions that this package makes are:

• Dark aluminum trim
• Red or white contrasting stitching
• Metallic shift paddles
• Black headliner
• R-Dynamic interior badging
• Metal trimmed pedals

Apart from this, LR also has other packages available on deck namely, Family Pack, Technology Pack, and Driver Assist Pack that are rich in features and add a lot more value to the Discovery Sport. 

Which trim should you buy?

Considering how packed the base trim is, the S is going to be our recommendation for the Discovery Sport, it offers a feature-packed experience and there’s nothing much to be missed from the SE trim. To this, we’d recommend adding the Technology Pack and the Driver Assist Pack that add all the essential driver safety aids and amenities like wireless charging. If you have a big family, the Discovery Sport’s Family Pack adds in a third row as well to seat children. 

The 2021 Land Rover Discovery Sport comes standard with a turbocharged 2.0L Inline-4 under the hood which is potent enough to generate 246 horsepower and 269 lb-ft of torque which is sent to all four wheels as standard. There is only one gearbox on offer - a ZF 9-speed (ZF9HP50) automatic which is renowned to be one of the smoothest ones out there. It is also the best for casual off-roading - a practice the Discovery Sport owners may subject themselves to. 

The Discovery Sport isn’t the fastest one out there in terms of acceleration, and the turbocharged four-cylinder power output doesn’t make matters any easier for the SUV as well. The acceleration remains sluggish but the torque, although not a lot, is rather lazy on delivery. The Audi Q5 is the quickest of all, beating the Discovery Sport by a margin of nearly 2 seconds. 

How well does the 2021 Land Rover Discovery Sport handle?

The 2021 Land Rover Discovery Sport is very easy to drive in the city. The driver sits up high and the view out of the windshield is very clear without any blind spots. The cabin has a lot of windows that make the cabin feel airy and roomier than it actually is. The rear window is quite small but the 360-degree camera helps in parking as well as negotiating through tight turns. The turning circle is very convenient for U-turns and the suspension is soft enough to absorb the undulations on the road. 

The engine is very good on the highways but its sluggish nature does take a toll when it comes to overtaking vehicles. The gearbox blends in the cogs very well and helps render a smooth drive but seems to hold a gear for a bit too long while trying to overtake. The suspension feels as good as it does in the city and the cabin is quiet enough for the occupants to feel comfortable inside. The tire noise is very minute and one can only find it if s/he is listening for it. The seats are super comfortable for long-distance journeys. 

2021 Land Rover Discovery Sport Braking Performance

The 2021 Land Rover Discovery Sport is a fun car to drive around twisty roads and does justify the “Sport” in its name. Along with sharp handling, it gives a lot of control to the driver - even while braking. The braking duties on the Discovery Sport are handled by a pair of 13.7-inch rotors at the front and 12.8-inch rotors at the rear that do a tremendous job at doing so. If the anchors are dropped at 70 MPH, these brakes act immediately and stop the Discovery Sport in just 168 feet. The brake pedals feel firm-footed and instill a lot of confidence while the SUV dives its nose (a little) to stop. 

The Discovery Sport has the biggest rotors in the competition and these rotors do a pretty good job at braking given the nearly 37% more bulk it carries over the Audi Q5, the second heaviest in the group. The Q5 isn’t as efficient as the Discovery while braking, stopping later than the bulky boy here. 

The 4-cylinder engine on the 2021 Land Rover Discovery Sport might not be as fast as the competition’s but LR’s decision of going with a turbocharged engine does equate to increased fuel efficiency, at least on paper. But seeing the MPG figures that Discovery Sport puts out, this parameter seems rather silly. 

Despite having a sluggish acceleration, the Discovery Sport’s fuel economy doesn’t help it in matters either. The engine remains rather fuel-sipping and provides lesser range despite having a bigger tank than the QX50. The Audi Q5 is the one that should be the most ideal tourer with a bigger tank and better economy figures than the LR.

The 2021 Land Rover Discovery Sport is a bit of a luxury SUV and that is pretty evident from the door panels themselves. The whole thing is covered in a neoprene soft-touch substance in the top, with leather cladding on the armrest and posh-looking door grab handles with beautiful contrast stitching. The R-Design changes this contrast stitching to either red or white, depending on the customer’s choice. The door pockets are nice and deep and the speaker grille adds to the premiumness. 

The dashboard carries the same soft material along with the contrast stitching and the silver trim that is now surrounding the AC vents. There is an aluminum trim between the AC vents to add some contrast to the dark dashboard. The center console has a display for the climate control settings which adds to the modernity of the cabin and works flawlessly. The gear lever is surrounded by a silver trim and also has two large cup holders. 

The seats are everything that a person expects from a brand like LR - soft, comfortable, nicely textured, visually appealing with the contrast stitching, and providing a lot of support to the occupants. In terms of creature comforts, the front seats come loaded with power adjustability, heating, and ventilation along with driver-side lumbar support. The rear seat also carries on similar levels of comfort along with reclining. 

The tall-boy stance of the Discovery Sport lends it respectable headroom in both rows but when it comes to the width, it is rather lacking in both the rows. Also, the legroom isn’t the most either but is just fine in the front and comparable to the rivals in the second row. The trunk is decently big, can store a lot of stuff, and is very practical. That being said, the interior is rather luxurious, and some of the highlighting features are:

• Power-adjustable front seats
• Leather seating 
• Reclining second-row seats
• Dual-zone climate control
• Auto-dimming interior mirror
• Front seat memory settings
• Panoramic sunroof (optional)
• Virtual rearview mirror (optional)
• Wireless charging (optional)
• Head-up display (optional)

What’s there to keep you entertained?

The Land Rover Discovery Sport gets an all-new system for the 2021 model year which the carmaker likes to call “Pivi Pro”. This system houses a 10-inch touchscreen display which is now updated to the latest firmware and now works flawlessly without any stutters. The user interface has a very intuitive layout which is very easy to use even when driving. 

As for the features, the system gets Bluetooth as standard for pairing smartphones and enabling 

hands-free voice communication. It also equips Apple CarPlay and Android Auto for seamless phone mirroring. This mirroring might stutter a bit initially but works fine after loading. The navigation system onboard is a breeze to use with clear and HD graphics along with smooth scrolling, nearly mimicking a smartphone. That being said, some of the most highlighting features of this system are:

• 10-inch Pivi Pro infotainment system
• 6-speaker audio system
• AM/FM/SiriusXM
• Navigation
• Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity
• Bluetooth
• Voice controls
• Multiple USB points

At the front, the 2021 Land Rover Discovery Sport looks very familiar to the bigger Discovery and the Evoque but gets an all-new headlight design that uses an all-LED setup. The bumper gets functional corner vents that help in cooling down the brake rotors. The grille has been updated for the 2021 model year and the R-Dynamic gets a blacked-out unit that contrasts well with the company’s logo. Apart from that, the bumper also houses a big vent in the lower-bumper area. 

The hood has a great fold to it and has a seamless design that flows down to the headlights. The alloys on offer are 18-inch ones as standard, which are upgraded to 20 inches in the SE trim. Either has very befitting designs and mix well with the overall appeal of the SUV that signifies its sporty character via a bodyline that runs down the side all the way to the back.

The rear houses a nice low-roof spoiler that is blacked out in the R-Dynamic trims. The LED taillights look amazing under shade and the new redesign adds a lot of modernity to them. There is “Discovery” badging on the rear, like on the hood, which lets the person behind knowing what Land Rover it is. To finish off the design, the Discovery Sport has an updated rear bumper, which houses a diffuser in the sporty trim along with an exhaust pipe that doesn’t protrude to maintain a clean look. 

The Land Rover Discovery Sport is the heaviest of the lot but the weight doesn’t affect the braking performance. To add to its favor, the compact dimensions do help a lot in off-road scenarios as well. It is easy to move around in the city, but the extra width utilization is rather poor due to the restricted shoulder room on offer. The SUV looks very handsome and has a distinctive poise to it, which is highlighted by:

• LED headlights
• 18-inch wheels
• Power folding and heated exterior mirrors
• Powered tailgate
• 20-inch wheels (optional)
• Panoramic sunroof (optional)

The 2021 Land Rover Discovery Sport is every bit a luxury SUV which has a lot of features to justify the price tag, and the same goes with the safety as well. Based on an advanced platform, the Discovery Sport is a very capable off-roader and also is packed with all the latest active and passive safety features speaking of which, the standard driver-aids on offer are:

• Surround-view camera 
• Parking sensors 
• Lane-keeping assist 
• Driver attention 
• Forward collision mitigation 
• Blind-spot monitor

If that’s not enough, Land Rover also lets the customer opt-in for the Driver Assist Pack that adds rear passenger safe-exit system, rear automatic braking, rear cross-traffic alert, and adaptive cruise control to the SUV making it a bulletproof package. 

2021 Land Rover Discovery Sport Vs. 2021 INFINITI QX50

The Infiniti QX50 is one of the quicker ones in the comparison and does an excellent job of showing its mettle against Discovery Sport. The former starts at a lower price point but the base trims aren’t well-equipped by luxury SUV standards. This is where the Discovery Sport takes the lead with a trimmed line-up that packs in a lot of features to the base trim while keeping the options list easy to understand. The Land Rover also offers an optional third-row to fit in more people than the QX50, while letting them enjoy similar levels of luxury. 

2021 Land Rover Discovery Sport Vs. 2021 Volvo XC60 

The Volvo is very well-equipped and has an impressive power plant. It brakes well too and the driving dynamics are as good as, if not better than, the Land Rover but when the road ends, it’s where the Discovery takes the lead. It decimates the XC60 in terms of off-road capability and also in terms of the luxury on offer, not to mention the impressive tech that goes on while negotiating the terrain. 

2021 Land Rover Discovery Sport Vs. 2021 Audi Q5

The Audi Q5 is a very potent competitor because of the quicker and more fuel-efficient power plant, and for the fact that it is the only other SUV with AWD as standard. The German has similar driving dynamics in the city but the Land Rover brakes better and offers more control to the driver by way of the advanced tech and the compact dimensions that aid in city driving. The Audi Q5 is the better choice if one wants to stay on well-paved roads and has frequent highway drives. 

The Land Rover Discovery Sport is a very potent vehicle if someone plans to go off-road, if at all. The powertrain is rather sluggish in acceleration despite the gearbox being one of the smoothest ones out there. The suspension works well and keeps the occupants comfortable, along with all the posh finish and amenities on offer. The Discovery Sport has a very simple lineup that is packed with standard safety features, which does seal the deal for a luxury SUV. If you want more performance, then the Audi Q5 is the one to go for.