2015 Land Rover Discovery Sport Tested: Roomy But Not Zoomy

Land Rover seemingly loves oddly proportioned vehicles. Look at the LR4: A concrete parasol could hardly look more top-heavy. And since the Holden Efijy never went into production, the Range Rover Evoque became the industry’s first factory lead sled, albeit one with its skirts hiked up over muck boots.

The new Discovery Sport is another creatively proportioned Rover. In photos, it looks compact, but to see it in person is to do a double take at just how diminutive it is. It looks like it’s always farther away than it is. At 180.7 inches long, it’s about nine inches longer than the Evoque but still a couple inches shy of competitors like the Audi Q5 and the BMW X3.

It feels small from the driver’s seat—in a good way. There’s sufficient space, but sightlines give a good feel of where the car’s corners are. You sit high, with a nice view down through the side windows and over the hood. The back seat is likewise spacious, with ample room for six-footers to sit behind six-footers. Here, too, visibility is excellent—certainly better than in the Evoque, with its style-over-substance roofline pinching the rear windows to almost comedic slits. Then again, the Discovery Sport is a real vehicle, whereas the Evoque is a fashion accessory, a turbocharged purse poodle. Land Rover offers a third-row seat in the Disco Sport, but our test example didn’t have it. Nor did we want it. Third-row seats in trucklets this size tend to be so small that children outgrow them at about the time they become self-sufficient enough to sit that far out of Mom and Dad’s reach. However, no other luxury ute in the Discovery Sport’s size offers a third row, so if your only requirements are that neighbors be impressed by your key fob and seatbelt count, then you should know that the third-row seat is a $1750 option that includes HVAC vents and a USB port for the wayback inmates.

Delayed Gratification

We have other requirements, however. Chief among them in this class is a refined powertrain. The Disco’s cannot be described as such. The 2.0-liter turbocharged four feels overly stressed by the vehicle’s 4319 pounds, first lagging and then pouring on too much power when the boost arrives. The transmission, ZF’s new nine-speed automatic, is complicit in our dissatisfaction, with harsh upshifts even under light throttle and slow downshifts. The powertrain isn’t always glaringly out of sync with what the driver’s right foot asks for—though sometimes it is—but it is always at least a little bit off the rhythm. And a drummer who’s even a couple of beats slow is going to throw off the whole song. Luckily, Jaguar Land Rover has a new family of four-cylinder engines on the way—they could arrive to help the Sport as soon as next year—which hopefully will also improve on the Disco Sport’s 7.4-second zero-to-60 run. That’s more than a full second slower than the four-cylinder BMW X3 manages.

While the Discovery Sport’s ride is suppler than the sportier Evoque’s on smooth roads, over bumps it is still awfully flinty. Eighteen-inch wheels are standard, but our example was fitted with optional 20s. We’d be very interested to see how much the smaller wheels and tires help the ride. Without the Evoque’s sporty mien, our skidpad laps in the Disco ended in gross understeer at just 0.78 g. All of the vehicles in our last roundup of this class handily topped that number, but the Rover’s 179-foot stop from 70 mph is competitive.

Land Rovers: Cheaper than Lunar Rovers

Competitive also describes the Discovery Sport’s price. The base SE starts at $38,065, undercutting the X3 by about $1500 and the Q5 by more than $2000. But by the time you move up to the top-of-the-line HSE Luxury like we tested—which brings features such as upgraded leather upholstery and navigation, on top of the HSE’s power rear liftgate, fixed glass roof, and more—the sticker climbs to $46,565. Add in the $1600 Climate Comfort package (heated and cooled front seats, and heating for the rears, the steering wheel, and the windshield), the $800 Driver Assist Plus package (automatic emergency braking, lane-departure warning, traffic-sign recognition), and $1500 for 20-inch wheels, and the tab bloats to $51,570.

A base LR4 starts at $51,395—and includes a third row that seats real people in actual comfort. But bumping up against the size-up offering is always the problem with optioned-up entry models. The size and fuel economy of the concrete parasol may not appeal to all Rover buyers in America, who last year bought 12,440 Evoques versus 4679 LR4s. In fact, vehicles branded Range Rover outsold the LR series by more than five-to-one. Our complaints about the Disco Sport’s ride and powertrain are the same we have concerning the Evoque, and it sells in spite of those shortcomings, so perhaps the more-spacious, more-comfortable Discovery Sport will help Land Rover right that imbalance in the sales ledger.

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2015 Range Rover Sport SVR first drive: A true track-ready off-road machine

The Mercedes G63 AMG gets a competitor in the super-ute category

What is it?

How ‘bout the SUV with the “broadest range of capability” on Earth? That’s how Land Rover describes its new Range Rover Sport SVR, and it’s not getting a lot of argument from us. The SVR is pretty swanky, to boot.

The 2015 Range Rover Sport SVR is an evolution of the Range Rover Sport introduced for 2014, and a noteworthy evolution at that. It’s the first Range Rover badged “R,” and the first vehicle from Jaguar Land Rover’s new Special Operations group. It’s also the fastest, most powerful Range Rover ever.

Special Operations was created in June, 2014 with its own tech center in the UK Midlands, under the direction of Paul Newsome—recruited from Williams Advanced Engineering (as in Formula One). It’s a captive tuner for JLR in the mold of Mercedes AMG or BMW M, yes, but Special Operations is more. It will also build custom-order bespoke vehicles, manage heritage and restoration through a new vintage workshop in Browns Lane, Coventry, and develop ultra-swanky, ultra-luxurious vehicles for serial production, including the Range Rover SVAutobiography introduced at the New York auto show. The Range Rover Sport SVR is Special Operations’ first vehicle to market.

The SVR has distinctive leather sports seats with bolstering more common in high-performance cars. Photo by Land Rover

The SVR tweaks start under its aluminum hood, where power and torque increase 40 hp and 41 lb-ft thanks to an uprated 5.0-liter supercharged V8 (to 550 horsepower, 502 pound-feet peak). The gain is a function of more supercharger boost and a new Switchable Active Sports Exhaust, which makes the SVR sound more like a Jaguar F-Type than a Range Rover under full-throttle, with the same cackle under deceleration.

With the power increase, the SVR’s eight-speed torque-converter automatic is reprogrammed. Shifts are 50 percent quicker, according to Range Rover. The control program takes greater account of throttle gradients, brake inputs and lateral acceleration loads in its shift strategy, and it blips the throttle during downshifts.

Suspension upgrades include re-profiled air springs, more aggressive Active Roll Control (Range Rover’s replacement for conventional anti-roll bars) and re-tuned adaptive shocks, which deliver a broader range of damping rates and a higher peak. Bushings are stiffer, and Range Rover says the SVR raises peak lateral acceleration 20 percent compared to the standard Sport--on the SVR’s standard all-season Continental tires. The Brembo brake package adds 15-inch rotors in front and six-piston calipers. The standard SVR wheels measure 21 inches in diameter, with optional 22s.

The Range Rover Sport SVR produces 550 hp at 6,500 rpm and 502 lb-ft of torque at 3,500 rpm. Photo by Land Rover

The performance tweaks are the sort one expects from a manufacturer’s captive tuner, and to good effect. The SVR sprints from zero to 60 mph in 4.5 seconds, according to Range Rover, with a top speed of 162 mph. The company claims that during more than 1000 development laps around the Nürburgring’s 13-mile Nordschleife, the SVR turned a best lap of 8 minutes, 14 seconds. For reference, that’s quicker than published times for an impressive range of cars, including the BMW 1 Series M, the Lexus IS-F and the current Chevy Camaro SS.  

But remember: the SVR is a Range Rover, and its air suspension still provides a couple inches of ride-height adjustment. It comes with a dual-range transfer case and locking differentials. With 21.5 inches of wheel articulation and a 33.5-inch wading depth, the SVR delivers off-road advantages SUVs like a BMW X5 M or Porsche Cayenne Turbo S can’t match.

On the outside, this Rover gets what will be SVR’s signature look: A gloss-black finish for the front and rear valances and various other aero and trim pieces. In front, the intakes are larger to feed more air to the intercoolers and help cool the brakes. The SVR’s deeper, more aggressive lower front bumper can be removed for off-roading.

The SVR's range-topping 5.0-liter supercharged V8 gets more boost in this application. Photo by Land Rover

Inside, the SVR gets unique sport seats and standard Dark Engine Turned Aluminum trim, or the full carbon-fiber treatment for an extra $2,300. The rear seat is more sculpted than that in the standard Sport—more like individual buckets that replicate the front seats, with a flat spot in the center and individually reclining backs. The rear seats still fold more or less flat, opening 62.2 cubic feet of cargo volume.

The Range Rover Sport SVR debuts this summer at $110,475, plus a $995 destination charge. Add about $15,000 for all the standard options, and it’s still $30,000 less than the least expensive 2016 Porsche Cayenne Turbo S.

The SVR weighs in at 5,158 pounds, but moves like a much lighter vehicle. Photo by Land Rover

How's it drive?

Like a very powerful SUV with an almost amazing breadth of capability. Range Rover’s introduction at the Monticello Motor Club in New York demonstrated as much.

It started in hills and fields adjacent to the race track—flooded in spots to create ponds and mud bogs for good measure. With ride height maxed upward and the transfer case in low range, the SVR inched-up up loose, 40-degree hills, and then back down. It crawled laterally across and around those inclines without sweat, or over big rocks, and it forded water two feet deep and flung yuck up its flanks as it rolled through six inches of mud. And thanks to hill-descent control and other electronic wizardry, it went down the hills without brake or throttle intervention and up or around or through with only modest awareness of momentum on the driver’s part, no special off-road technique necessary. It was only a hint of what the SVR might do with more purpose-specific tires.

Then, after a pause to hose-off the mud and up-inflate the all-season tires, the same SVR pulled onto the paved road circuit at Monticello and flew.

The bucket-like rear seats offer additional lateral support during driving. Photo by Land Rover

A lot faster than anyone really needs to go in an SUV. The re-tuned transmission is plenty aggressive in full automatic operation on track. It kicks down readily and holds gears through corners, and it’s never in a hurry to shift up. It picks and keeps the right gear. And if you actually shift manually, it’s never going to override your wishes, unless you think you can downshift to second at about 130 mph.

You’ll definitely feel the SVR’s mass and height, though the impression might have been exaggerated running laps the same trip in a 2016 F-Type. The SVR still tracks unflappably at what feels like a full lateral g through sweepers. The height actually makes it easier to hit the turn-in points and apexes, and it contributes to a feeling of confidence in the driver’s seat.

The default torque split is 50 percent front, 50 rear, but Range Rover says it has tuned a little more rear-wheel bias into the SVR. It’s nonetheless the front wheels that tend to lose traction first, though the understeer is never excessive. The steering feels nice, making it easy to read the push, and it’s accurate. The SVR is always controllable and consistent, and really quite amazing for a big box on wheels. Whether or not a Porsche Cayenne Turbo delivers more pleasing transient response or racier reactions on a track, we’re not able to say. The smaller, lighter Porsche Macan GTS does, and we’re pretty sure that counts as an SUV. 

During testing and development, the SVR recorded a Nordschleife lap time of just 8 minutes 14 seconds, a staggeringly fast time for a production SUV. Photo by Land Rover

We’re less sure what formula weighs a slight gain or loss in race-track performance against more or less capability on rocky hills or muddy trails, but like we said—we’re not arguing. The Range Rover SVR makes a solid case for the broadest range of performance among current SUVs.

Then there’s the job most buyers are likely to use the SVR to complete, which is getting from place to place on freeways, boulevards and streets through crowded city centers. In this context, the SVR’s air suspension never feels close to stiff. With the exhaust in its tame mode, it’s nice and quiet. The expansive greenhouse and commanding view out keep the driver on top of just about everything, with the dynamic response to react to anything—or to deal with pestering, bad-mannered wankers in their annoying 435is. There’s a lot of space and true British luxury, pragmatically presented in high style. The SVR makes great road transport, especially for a group, and it’s very useful in the practical sense. 

Whether or not you’ve climbed aboard the SUV wagon, it’s easy to understand the value in breadth of capability, and the appeal of a Range Rover Sport SVR.

The Range Rover Sport SVT manages to be as good off-road as it is on the track -- a remarkable achievement. Photo by Land Rover

Do I want it?

If you want the broadest range of capability in an SUV, why not?

Even if you don’t want an SUV, you have to like what’s going on at Jag LR--including the establishment of a Special Operations office to build vehicles like the Range Rover Sport SVR. Credit goes to the Indian conglomerate Tata. JLR has finally found a home, with a parent company that seems to understand each brand’s strengths and is willing to spend appropriately to exploit them.

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2015 Land Rover Range Rover Sport SVR First Drive [w/video]

2015 Land Rover Range Rover Sport SVR First Drive [w/video]How To Do Everything, FastImage Credit: Seyth MiersmaImage Credit: Seyth MiersmaImage Credit: Seyth MiersmaImage Credit: Seyth MiersmaImage Credit: Seyth MiersmaImage Credit: Seyth MiersmaImage Credit: Seyth MiersmaImage Credit: Chris McGrawImage Credit: Chris McGrawImage Credit: Chris McGrawImage Credit: Seyth MiersmaImage Credit: Seyth MiersmaImage Credit: Seyth MiersmaImage Credit: Seyth MiersmaImage Credit: Seyth MiersmaImage Credit: Seyth MiersmaImage Credit: Seyth MiersmaImage Credit: Seyth MiersmaImage Credit: Seyth MiersmaImage Credit: Seyth MiersmaImage Credit: Seyth MiersmaImage Credit: Seyth MiersmaImage Credit: Seyth MiersmaImage Credit: Seyth MiersmaImage Credit: Seyth MiersmaImage Credit: Seyth MiersmaImage Credit: Seyth MiersmaImage Credit: Seyth MiersmaImage Credit: Seyth MiersmaImage Credit: Seyth MiersmaImage Credit: Seyth MiersmaImage Credit: Seyth MiersmaImage Credit: Seyth MiersmaImage Credit: Seyth MiersmaImage Credit: Seyth MiersmaImage Credit: Seyth Miersma2015 Range Rover SportMSRP$63,350ShopReviewsMore Photos2016 Land Rover Range Rover Sport HST2016 Land Rover Range Rover Sport HST: New York 2015Land Rover Range Rover Sport Hybrid hauls an AirstreamLand Rover Range Rover and Range Rover Sport Diesel2015 Land Rover Range Rover Sport SVR: Monterey 20142015 Land Rover Range Rover Sport SVR: Monterey 2014Seyth Miersma

Vital StatsEngine:SC 5.0L V8Power:550 HP / 502 LB-FTTransmission:8-Speed Automatic0-60 Time:4.5 SecondsTop Speed:162 MPHDrivetrain:All-Wheel DriveEngine Placement:FrontCurb Weight:5,148 LBSSeating:2+3MPG:14 City / 19 HWYBase Price:$110,475As Tested Price:$126,360Perhaps you live on a bucolic estate, hardily guarded by rocky terrain or deep forest, yet with access to one of the world's great super highways. Or are a reclusive country millionaire, sneaking from your abode in the remotest part of Talladega County to rip off joy rides down 'Dega's back straight.

Creating an owner-template to suit the wide-ranging abilities of the Range Rover Sport SVR is a silly exercise. Land Rover proved as far back as the Range Rover Classic that one could blend the seemingly unmixable talents of off-road ability and high luxury into a salable tincture. Outright speed and handling performance is simply the newest aspect of that luxury, despite the disparate nature of racetracks and muddy ruts.

It's not a new formula. Porsche ships more Cayenne tonnage than any of its other models. BMW will sell you a 567-horsepower M utility vehicle in X5 or X6 flavor, painted to match a KLM stewardess. Mercedes counters with a 518-horse M-Class that vents biturbo V8 exhaust like a Berliner drum and bass DJ. And Land Rover has been effectively supercharging its own Range Rovers for a while now, though none to so potent an effect as this 550-hp SVR rocket wagon.



Range Rover's newest product creates blue sky between it and its competitors with legitimate off-roading prowess. The all-wheel-drive system is permanently active, and can be quickly bolstered with a two-speed transfer case with a low range. The system defaults to a 50/50 front/rear torque split, but 100-percent of twist can be routed to either axle via a central differential using a multi-plate clutch. There's a rear diff, as well, which will lock up to drive torque to the wheel with the most grip.

I drove over rocks, through deep mud and puddles, and wove deftly up and down grades on a short trail that the Land Rover minders had constructed. All of which was far less aggressive than any true ORV-fan would hope for, but instructive in the vehicle's abilities, nevertheless. Essentially the Terrain Response 2 system makes going off road plug and play; set the dial to match your surroundings, watch that you don't clip your mirror on a tree, and the Rangie will blithely chug on. I'd be a lot more worried about damaging one of those 22-inch wheels than cresting a challenging ridge.

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Off-roading with poise is part of the Range Rover DNA. So that half of the SVR personality only seems outlandish in contrast with its standout quicks. The tale of the tape is impressive and incongruous: 550 horsepower and 502 pound-feet of torque driving 5,148 pounds to 60 miles per hour in 4.5 seconds, and up to 162 at the upper reach. That's a staggering output, even for a heavy truck, and more accessible on a day-to-day basis than the mud-chugging bits.

Starting out in New York's crammed SoHo neighborhood, my drive route took me out of the city aiming 100 miles to the northwest for the Monticello Motor Club. Dicing with city traffic proved simple in the muscly SVR. Visibility was excellent thanks to the ride height and glassy cabin, and the sharp throttle response helped me hit traffic gaps just as they opened up. Anyone that says 550 horsepower is overkill for commuting hasn't done enough research.

Useful or no, it was more entertaining to use all of that power as the roads opened up and got curvy. As the landscape changed, I flipped the familiar drive mode switch into Dynamic and tapped the shift lever to Sport. The eight-speed automatic transmission aggressively held on to lower gears as I picked up the pace, and the unmuted exhaust flooded the cabin with every stab of the throttle. You might take issue with the SVR for a number of reasons, but its sonic punch won't be one of them. Close your eyes, listen to for a fourth-to-second downshift, and you'll swear you're hearing Jaguar's F-Type R roar forward.



Handling on those same great A-roads leading to the track was superb, and at least up to snuff with the likes of the Cayenne, et al. Steering effort from the electrically power assisted rack is low, but response is quick, even, and effortless. There's something uncanny about getting a SUV this large to change direction so quickly, but I was able to avail myself of great corners with great confidence. Ride quality is excellent, as well. The air suspension mitigates impact harshness that you might expect from those strappy 22-inch dubs, and generally levels the drive without wallowing in the bends.

Over the years I've driven fast SUVs from Jeep, BMW, and Porsche on tracks across the globe. My typical response to this unnatural test of dynamic range is something along the lines of, "Hmm, better than I expected." The magics of traction control, good tires, and great spurting gouts of power are powerful persuaders.



The SVR is convincingly the most track-ready Range Rover that I've ever encountered, but it doesn't veer from the formula above. A heavy body and high center of gravity are evident at speed, though in my few laps I found all tamed well enough that I could turn some quick corners. That fast, efficient steering I'd enjoyed on the road held up at track speeds, even surprising me with willingness to make mid-turn corrections. I also got a few giggles after finding I could tighten my entry with some lift-off oversteer. If I have to compare the odd experiences, I'd say that BMW's X6 M is more technically proficient (with pin-sharp engine response) than the SVR, but the Range Rover felt less high-strung and edgy on a circuit. (If ever SCCA opens a four-wheel-drive, over 5,000-pound class, there'll be a hell of a fight for the podium.)

Mostly I wanted to use the AWD to throw down all that beautifully soundtracked power coming out of the corners. The track setting offers a richer version of something that every SVR owner should delve into when they have a clear road and an itchy trigger foot.

I'm not totally convinced the go-fast styling of the SVR is an improvement on an already attractive Range Rover Sport. But it's fair to note that I feel the same way about the M and AMG versions of those BMW and Mercedes SUVs ­– perhaps I just don't like the genre. Embellishments to the exterior and interior are uniformly applied, with a ready-for-sport vibe ladled on by way of body kit, black accents, and carbon-fiber trim. I found the seats to be wonderfully suited to their task of keeping my ass in one spot, though I can't quite endorse their comic-book-body-armor design. (Seriously, are they trimmed in Power Ranger hide?)



There is, of course, and amped-up price point to go with all of this enhanced power and design. And again, it's right in line with the German über sleds. Land Rover will ask $111,470 (that's including the $995 destination fee) for each SVR it sells. That's a jump from the $99,650 BMW X5 M, though the Range Rover has greater off-road chops and a fuller base options set. The Porsche Cayenne Turbo requires $115,695, the Mercedes ML63 AMG is $99,325. You pay your money and you take your choice when it comes to which brand you love the best, but you see that everything in this class is effectively six figures out the door.

I doubt that many Range Rover Sport SVR owners will spend a great deal of time driving on either the track or a true off-road course. But, in a segment of vehicle that defies logic, I like that the SVR has limits in the extreme ends of both worlds. That's what you're paying for, after all.

More importantly, as a vehicle that's so easy to enjoy in real-world situations, with a world-class exhaust note and a superlative pedigree, buyers should be thrilled to have this bimodal beasty in the garage. The SVR may cross circle drives and lawns more than high-speed ovals and mountains, but even the suburbs need heroes.
Featured Gallery2015 Land Rover Range Rover Sport SVR: First Drive

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Land Rover special ops considering Evoque SVR

Land Rover special ops considering Evoque SVRImage Credit: Land RoverImage Credit: Land RoverImage Credit: Land RoverImage Credit: Land RoverImage Credit: Land RoverImage Credit: Land RoverImage Credit: Land RoverImage Credit: Land RoverImage Credit: Land RoverImage Credit: Land RoverImage Credit: Land RoverImage Credit: Land RoverImage Credit: Land RoverImage Credit: Land RoverImage Credit: Land RoverImage Credit: Land RoverImage Credit: Land RoverImage Credit: Land RoverImage Credit: Land RoverImage Credit: Land RoverImage Credit: Land RoverImage Credit: Land Rover2016 Range Rover EvoqueMSRP$46,675ShopReviewsMore PhotosLand Rover Range Rover Evoque Convertible: Spy Shots2016 Land Rover Range Rover Evoque: Geneva 2015Land Rover Range Rover Evoque Convertible: prototype in London CrossrailLand Rover Range Rover Evoque Autobiography Dynamic: Geneva 2014Land Rover Range Rover Evoque AutobiographyRange Rover Evoque Rally Patent RenderingsNoah Joseph

Jaguar Land Rover's new Special Vehicle Operations division has had its hands full lately, and it's not about to slow down anytime soon. Now the latest word suggests an SVR version of the Range Rover Evoque could be in the pipeline.

Details are few and far between at this point, but we can expect the Evoque SVR would follow in the footsteps of the Range Rover Sport SVR that has launched the performance line. Only where the RR Sport SVR goes after the Porsche Cayenne Turbo, the Evoque SVR would be positioned closer to the Macan.

That would mean a substantial jump in performance, although just which engine would provide the motivation is an open question. The Evoque at present is powered exclusively by four-cylinder engines, so shoehorning in JLR's signature 5.0-liter supercharged V8 would likely be too difficult. We could be looking at a more powerful four-pot, or possibly a six like the company's 3.0-liter supercharged V6 or a forced-induction version of its upcoming Ingenium inline-six.

One way or another, performance will be the target – which doesn't go without saying. JLR SVO went for luxury with the Range Rover SVAutobiography, an exclusive approach with the F-Type Project 7 and Lightweight E-Type, and is slated to release an extreme off-roader in the form of the upcoming Defender SVX.

Although Land Rover is already reportedly working on the Evoque's successor, that's still a few years out, so the SVR version would likely serve as a high-performance swan song for the existing model before it's replaced.Featured Gallery2016 Land Rover Range Rover Evoque

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