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"Driven"
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Tom Voelk: Small Land Rovers
are nothing new,
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Evoque and LR2 have been around
for a few years.
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This is the LR2's replacement -
Discovery Sport
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competing with BMW X3, Audi Q5
and Volvo XC60
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I'm happy to see Land Rover ditch
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forgettable alpha-numeric nomenclature
for words that people understand ...
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there's a concept!
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Discovery Sport and Evoque are built on
the same bones but
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the Disco here is 9 inches longer with a
more traditional roof line.
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Starting at $38,000, this top shelf
HSE Lux model retails for fifty 'large',
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all-wheel-drive is standard -
I would hope so, considering the brand!
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There's 8.3 inches of ground clearance.
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The Ford-sourced turbo 2-Liter 4-cylinder
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has 240 HP and ... 251 lb-ft of torque.
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The transmission has 9-speeds,
a Sport Mode and manual ability.
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Terrain Response is
the Garanimals of off-roading ...
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Call up the surface you want to cross and
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the all-wheel-drive system
optimises accordingly.
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Most of these rigs will live their lives
on pavements
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and 0 to 60 in just under 8 seconds
is quick enough
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It's the way the power is delivered ...
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I'm in standard drive mode,
drop the throttle ...
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there's an awful lot of lag,
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not fun in cut-and-thrust city driving.
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Sport mode improves response.
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The 9-speed aggressively up-shifts
for best fuel economy
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on center-field, is locked-down.
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The ride quality is firm but not harsh.
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It's quiet for long road trips,
surprisingly comfortable.
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Cornering is well controlled.
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Safety-tech includes automatic
emergency braking.
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The lane-departure system discreetly
warns with steering wheel vibration.
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All call Jeep Cherokee and
competitors since it,
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and Discovery Sport play where
soft-roaders can't.
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It doesn't break a sweat on this
moderate closed course.
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I've got to question how many owners are
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really going to off-road a vehicle
this expensive
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but a guys got to test!
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Ford water nearly two-feet deep,
the doors are water-tight.
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Disco has moves - approach, break-over
and departure angles are quite good;
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Don't try this in a Lexus NX.
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Monitor the wheels and differential
while slogging through the sloppy stuff,
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Discovery isn't a rock-crawler
like Wrangler
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but it does more than most
families need.
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And the clan will enjoy the cabin
that's roomy for the class;
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Solid materials aren't as impressive
as top-shelf Range Rovers
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but, hey, those can be twice the price.
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An improved user-interface is stylish
and straight-forward
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though lethargic at times.
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There are storage hooks and nooks
including a hiding spot
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under this removable cup holder
for small stuff.
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Leather seats are vented and heated.
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Discovery Sport's back seat is a far
friendlier place than Evoque's
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There is a lot more headroom.
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Choose between maximum legroom
and maximum cargo room.
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Phone charging is no problem unless you
forget a cord!
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Toast your buns and enjoy the view.
The fixed glass roof is dramatic.
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Two can stretch out here,
three will be okay.
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Discovery Sport is available with an
optional third row of seating ...
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I'm assuming it's for 'very'
small children.
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It eliminates this storage space
under the cargo floor.
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Land Rover does not skimp on the details
and there's a good amount of space here.
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The in-class average is 8 bundles.
Discovery scores an 11.
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Design cues from Evoque are a nice touch
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but it's more fun to add your own ...
... in brown!
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to show the neighbors that you
can tackle the tough stuff.
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Some find this shape too ordinary and
not Range Rover-y enough
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and, for those concerned with reliability,
the warranty covers 50,000 miles.
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Discovery Sport give you the ability to
make them 'mild' or 'wild'!