The least expensive Landy in the line-up, the Discovery Sport, launched just weeks before lockdown started. We had ample opportunity to drive it across various surfaces, where it fared exceedingly well. When you have children, however, you tend to focus on things other than wading depth, handling, how it crawls over rocks, and how much body roll is present.
Related: Read our driving impression of the new Land Rover Discovery Sport 2020, here.
Let's take a more practical point of view, and examine the Disco Sport's family friendliness.
Safety
A huge selling point in the premium segment of the market is safety, and the Disco Sport doesn't disappoint: it scored a five-star EuroNCAP safety rating back in 2014. All models have standard traction control, as well as:
- stability control,
- hill-descent control and hill-start assist,
- electronic off-road assistance, trailer stability control,
- an electromechanical parking brake,
- seven airbags,
- fatigue detection (Land Rover calls it a Driver Condition Monitor),
- cruise control,
- lane-keeping assist,
- voice control (Apple CarPlay/Android Auto is standard, too)
- rain-sensing windscreen wipers,
- daytime running lights,
- automatic LED headlamps,
- LED taillights,
- park distance control in the front and rear, and a rear-view camera.
Another plus point is emergency braking that brings the Landy to a halt if the system realizes you won't react quickly enough.
Practicality & comfort
The rear bench is spacious and three child seats can easily fit sit-by-side, but ISOFIX points are only available for the outer rear seats. Legroom is generous enough for children as well as taller adults, and the seatbacks can recline. The rear seats can be moved forward or backwards. If older passengers are on the rear bench, they won't want for elbow- and legroom either. Second-row occupants also benefit from having their own heating and ventilation controls.
There are also enough USB ports and 12 Volt connectivity points in the cabin to keep everyone's devices charged up, and a there's a wireless charging pad up front for the driver or front passenger. The entire car can also serve as a 4G hotspot.
Storage space
The cabin of the Disco Sport has a multitude of storage binnacles and cubbies. Both the front and rear door cards are very roomy, and central armrests in the front and rear will hold two bottles each. The central armrest cubby in front is large enough to hold an average-sized handbag.
How big is the boot?
A rather spacious 897 litres, which can be increased to 1 794 litres with the second row of seats folded flat. You just pull a lever, and down go the seats. (You still have to click them into place, though.) You'll also have to ensure the rear seats are in an upright position, i.e. not reclined, before attempting to fold them flat.
If you specify the third row of seats to make the Disco Sport a seven-seater, you may be a little disappointed. Legroom is tight and only smaller, primary school kids will be content here. And, if there's a person on every seat, good luck with trying to fit anything else inside the boot, other than a few soft bags. Carpooling five to six kids, together with their school bags and sports equipment, is probably going to test your patience.
Verdict
Spacious, safe and tech-rich, the Land Rover Discovery Sport is a commendable family vehicle. The only downside to Land Rover Discovery Sport ownership, is that quite a few owners complained about electric and infotainment niggles within the first year. In the same breath, however, owners were very satisfied with the Discover Sport's ride and handling, comfort, and practicality. For pricing, and the full list of standard and optional features on all models, please visit the Land Rover Discovery Sport microsite here.
Recommended next
Volvo XC60 takes on BMW X3 and Mercedes-Benz GLC
Is the BMW X3 a good SUV for families?
