Land Rover Discovery Sport
Compact luxury SUV (5+2 seats) · 2015–present. This review has not established this model’s 2024 U.S. sales.
How it began
It was created by Land Rover, part of Jaguar Land Rover (now JLR). Design was led by Gerry McGovern, then Land Rover's design director and chief creative officer, whose goal was to join premium design with real versatility. Phil Popham, group marketing director, and Murray Dietsch, director of Land Rover programs, also spoke at launch. Paul Cleaver ran the vehicle program and Andy Wheel was Land Rover's chief design manager for exteriors.
Discovery Sport was designed and engineered in the United Kingdom. Production began at Halewood near Liverpool in October 2014, alongside Range Rover Evoque, at the plant that had built Freelander 2 since October 2006. JLR also opened its Itatiaia factory in Brazil in June 2016 to produce Discovery Sport and Evoque for Brazilian customers.
Land Rover revealed Discovery Sport on September 3, 2014 through a film shot at Spaceport America, New Mexico. The first production car left Halewood on October 17, 2014 and was received by Virgin Galactic at the factory ceremony. Its U.S. show debut followed in Los Angeles on November 19 as MY2015, with base MSRP from $37,070 before destination and other fees. Global retail sales began in December 2014; North American sales followed in May 2015.
Discovery comes from the original 1989 Discovery, Land Rover's family model, whose mountain-range logo still appears on today's Landmark edition. At launch Land Rover called it the first member of the new Discovery family.
Land Rover wanted to bring seven seats to the compact luxury SUV class, where nobody offered them. The challenge was to fit a 5+2 layout into a footprint no larger than five-seat luxury SUVs, without losing the brand's off-road capability. The answer was a new multi-link rear axle that frees up space behind the second row. It was also the first member of a new Discovery family aimed at families with an adventurous streak.
Generation by generation
- Gen. 12015–2019 · L550
Seven seats in a compact size
Photo: Vauxford · CC BY-SA 4.0 What changed. It took over from the LR2 (Freelander 2) in the lineup, built at Halewood since October 2006: in the 2015 range the LR2 started at $36,660 and the Discovery Sport at $37,070. For the U.S. it brought a 240 hp 2.0-liter turbo, a nine-speed automatic and standard all-wheel drive, with an optional third row. Its body combined ultra-high-strength steel and lightweight aluminum, and it could wade through 600 mm of water. For the 2018 model year it got Ingenium gasoline engines with 237 and 286 hp, built in Wolverhampton, England.
The innovation. The first pedestrian airbag in its class, designed to protect people on foot in an impact. It also brought autonomous emergency braking and a new 8-inch touchscreen infotainment system, and earned a five-star Euro NCAP rating.
If you buy one usedFive selected NHTSA campaigns for this phase have free remedies for eligible affected vehicles. On some 2015s built from September 17 to November 3, 2014, a faulty crimp in the transmission harness could make it shift into neutral unexpectedly (16V614). On 2015–2016 cars, the license plate lamp could fall out (16V274). On some 2016–2017s built from May 30 to August 24, 2016, the front lower control arm fasteners could fail (16V889). On 2017s, the front seat belt pretensioners might not work in a crash (16V942). On 2018s with the 2.0-liter gasoline engine, the fuel rail end caps could leak (18V087). The exact NHTSA Discovery Sport/model-year-2019 query returned zero campaigns on November 3, 2026; this does not replace the exact VIN and repair-history check. Check by VIN at nhtsa.gov that everything has been done. - Gen. 22020–present · L550 (PTA)
New architecture, mild hybrid and an invisible hood
Photo: Vauxford · CC BY-SA 4.0 What changed. Revealed on May 21, 2019 for MY2020, the major revision retained the familiar shape but adopted Premium Transverse Architecture, with a body claimed to be 13 percent stiffer and designed for electrified powertrains. U.S. base MSRP began at $37,800 for the 246-hp 2.0-liter P250, with a 286-hp 48V mild-hybrid option from $52,800. The MY2021 U.S. range instead listed only P250 versions. The sliding 40:20:40 second row allowed up to 24 seating layouts. Ten-inch Touch Pro was standard for MY2020; Apple CarPlay and Android Auto became standard across the U.S. range for MY2021. The MY2024 update added an 11.4-inch curved Pivi Pro screen and standard wireless charging.
The innovation. ClearSight Ground View: cameras project a virtual 180-degree view beneath the front of the car onto the screen, as if the hood were invisible. It is the production version of the Transparent Bonnet technology Land Rover previewed in 2014. It is joined by the ClearSight rear-view mirror, which turns into a video screen fed by a rear camera, and the brand's first wireless phone charging.
If you buy one usedNHTSA lists several recalls, with free remedies for eligible affected vehicles. Electrical: on 2020 mild hybrids, an overload of the 48-volt system could short-circuit the DC-DC converter, and affected unrepaired owners were instructed to exit the vehicle when parked and park outside away from buildings or structures until repaired (20V683); on 2020–2024 cars, the DC-DC converter could fail and leave the vehicle without drive power or exterior lights (26V248 and 26V599, software remedy). Screens: on 2020s the instrument cluster could switch between mph and km/h by itself (20V751); on 2023s the center screen could go blank at startup and hide the rearview camera (25V016); on 2024s the sensing module could overheat and shut off the 360-degree camera (24V678). Seat belts: retractors on 2020–2021 cars (21V668) and pretensioners on 2022–2023 cars (22V523). Body: on some 2024s the right lower A-pillar bolt could be improperly fastened (24V163). On 2025s, moisture in the gear shift module could make the gear indicator fail (25V705). Campaign 26V248 lists the 2020 mild-hybrid application; the later 26V599 agency records list 2020–2024 Discovery Sport and expand the earlier campaign. Confirm exact VIN eligibility and current final-remedy availability; the converter notices describe interim notifications and a later final-remedy notice.
Land Rover DefenderDefender name introduced in 1990
Land Rover Discovery1989–present
Land Rover Range Rover Sport2005–present
Land Rover Range Rover1970–present
Ford F-Series (F-150)1948–present
Toyota RAV41994–present (US from 1996)
Honda CR-V1995–present
Ram 15001981–present
Tesla Model Y2020–present
