Medium 4WD SUV of the Year: Land Rover Discovery Sport

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The 2024 version of the ‘Disco Sport’ is a revelation. We’ve driven previous versions, and driven regular Discoveries back to the first edition, but this year’s offering is a big step forward, updated with a more modern luxury interior, latest tech and added functionality. It also stays true to its 10-year heritage.

The Sport was first shown to the public in 2014 and arrived in 2015 as Land Rover’s replacement for the Freelander. The SUV category was white hot: more than 30 percent of new car sales were in this category.

Discovery Sport, sharing its mechanicals with the Range Rover Evoque, was the first of a new family of Land Rover SUVs. The Disco Sport had decent body underguards, decent approach and departure angles, a wading depth of 600mm and a terrain response system. From launch, it sat on Pirelli Scorpion tyres, which are head and shoulders ahead of pretty much any h/t tread.

The standard ground clearance is a healthy 212mm, approach angle 22.8 degrees (23 degrees in off-road mode), ramp-over is 20.6 and departure angle is 28.2.

For cruising around the city, hitting the open road or chewing up some gravel road distance, the Sport trounces most 4WD utes and many of its rival SUVs. For an all-round premium driving experience, it’s hard to beat.

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