Name: Land Rover Discovery Sport (2015 – present) | Expert Rating
Item: Land Rover Discovery Sport
Rating: 68

Summary

The Land Rover Discovery Sport is a medium-sized SUV that is available with either five or seven seats. It replaced the previous Land Rover Freelander model in early 2015, although it’s a larger and more expensive vehicle. Production takes place here in the UK at Land Rover’s Halewood plant near Liverpool.

The Discovery Sport has received very mixed reviews from the UK motoring media since its launch, with scores rating from very poor to outstanding. It has received high praise for its practicality, flexibility and off-road ability. However, it has received considerable criticism for very poor reliability and the model has regularly appeared at or near the bottom of new car reliability lists from the likes of Which? and What Car? magazines. Most recently, in a 2021 reliability survey What Car? rated the Discovery Sport as the twelfth-worst new car on sale.

In August 2020, Which? publicly called for the Land Rover Discovery Sport and Range Rover Velar to be recalled due to ongoing software problems.

There are entire forums devoted to the problems with the Discovery Sport’s diesel particulate filter system (along with various other Land Rover models fitted with the Ingenium diesel engine, like the first-generation Range Rover Evoque). We also have a busy thread of unhappy customers here on The Car Expert forum.

The Land Rover Discovery Sport was comprehensively updated in summer 2019, which aimed to address these reliability issues as well as upgrading the car’s interior and powertrains. The facelifted model has received improved results in recent media reviews, but we will continue tracking scores to see how this changes over time.

As of January 2024, the Land Rover Discovery Sport has a New Car Expert Rating of B, with a score of 68%. It scores highly for safety despite its age, as Euro NCAP re-tested the car in 2022 and it achieved a renewed five-star result. Average CO₂ emissions are also good (thanks to the plug-in hybrid version), but running costs and reliability are very poor, which drags down the overall rating.

More Land Rover Expert Ratings, new car reviews, news and features

Key specifications

Body style: Medium SUV/crossover
Engines: petrol, diesel, plug-in hybrid
Price: From £44,790 on-road

Launched: Winter 2014/15
Last updated: Spring 2020
Replacement due: TBA

Image gallery

Media reviews

Reviews, road test and comparisons from across the UK automotive media. Click any of the boxes to view.

The Car Expert+

Model reviewed: 2.0-litre diesel automatic D180 SE
Score: 8.2 / 10
“More than a refresh of the Land Rover Discovery Sport, this is a comprehensive update, combining excellent refinement on the road with supreme ability off it.”
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Auto Express+

Model reviewed: Range overview
Score: 8 / 10
“The Land Rover Discovery Sport combines seven-seat practicality, go-anywhere performance and premium style.”
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Model reviewed: 1.5-litre petrol/electric plug-in hybrid P300e
Score: 8 / 10
“The switch to plug-in electrification does bring a compromise or two to Land Rover’s most affordable family SUV. You’ll need to accept it as a five-seater only, and it comes with a pretty hefty price that may put off private buyers.”
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Model reviewed: Range review
Score: 8 / 10
“Land Rover’s Discovery Sport becomes more refined and gets new mild-hybrid tech to help it compete in the luxury SUV segment.”
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Autocar+

Model reviewed: 1.5-litre petrol/electric plug-in hybrid P300e R-Dynamic SE
Score: 8 / 10
“The new infotainment system, combined with a whisper-quiet and well-cushioned chassis, predictably low running costs and unexpectedly weighty steering, solidifies the P300e as a front runner in the burgeoning plug-in hybrid SUV segment.”
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Model reviewed: P200
Score: 7 / 10
“It’s a highly accomplished all-rounder, playing refined long-distance cruiser, load carrier, tow-car, off-roader par excellence and school bus with ease.”
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Model reviewed: D180 AWD SE
Score: 8 / 10
“Well-mannered, spacious, practical, well-finished and now slightly more economical, but D180’s high weight dulls performance and economy.”
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Model reviewed: Sport R-Dynamic S D240 AWD
Score: 8 / 10
“Make no mistake: there’s a lot more that’s new about this updated Land Rover Discovery Sport than immediately meets the eye.”
Read review

Model reviewed: Range overview
Score: 8 / 10
“The Discovery Sport is another convincing Land Rover with lots of handling finesse, style and capability.”
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Car+

Model reviewed: 1.5-litre petrol/electric plug-in hybrid P300e
Score: 8 / 10
“For city dwellers who *need* a rugged SUV and company car drivers looking for something upmarket, but not too flashy, this is the pick of the diddy Disco range.”
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Model reviewed: Range review
Score: 6 / 10
“The Disco makes its case through remarkable comfort and impressive off-road skills, though demerits need to be applied for the voracious appetite it has for fuel.”
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Model reviewed: TD4 2.0-litre diesel manual SE
Score: 6 / 10
“The SE-spec Land Rover Discovery Sport plays the comfortable, practical, value-for-money card with aplomb and shows that you needn’t shy away from the bottom end of the range. If you plan to do a lot of towing or frequently find yourself sitting in traffic jams, however, a punchier auto diesel would make more sense.”
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Carbuyer+

Model reviewed: (range review)
Score: 8 / 10
“The Land Rover Discovery Sport is a hugely capable and surprisingly good value for money, family-friendly SUV.”
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Carwow+

Model reviewed: Range overview
Score: 7 / 10
“The Land Rover Discovery Sport is practical, easy to drive, comfortable on the motorway and very capable off-road. However, alternatives have better infotainment and are cheaper to run.”
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Company Car Today+

Model reviewed: 1.5-litre petrol/electric plug-in hybrid P300e R-Dynamic HSE
“The sensible Discovery Sport for company drivers, despite the high P11D price, once whole-life costs are factored in. It’s practical, comfortable, high-quality and classy, although running costs on some premium German rivals are better.”
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Daily Mail+

Model reviewed: 2.0-litre petrol automatic
“On the road, the new Discovery Sport has plenty of oomph and good handling. Across some tough terrain, I had fun climbing steep tracks and making precarious descents, and crawling over a narrow bridge made of tree trunks.”
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Model reviewed: SD4 2.2-litre diesel HSE Luxury
“The fantastic flexibility of features makes this car great for families.”
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Evo+

Model reviewed: D180 SE
Score: 7 / 10
“Far more refined than before, one of the few to offer so many seats at the price/size/posh-point.”
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Model reviewed: (range review)
Score: 6 / 10
“Subtly brilliant, the Land Rover Discovery Sport takes fight to the Germans.”
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Green Car Guide+

Model reviewed: 2.0-litre diesel automatic SE
Score: 8 / 10
“The new Land Rover Discovery Sport is very refined on the road, extremely capable off the road, it offers a family-friendly seven-seat layout, mild hybrid technology is featured now, and a plug-in hybrid model is on the way.”
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Heycar+

Model reviewed: Range overview
Score: 7 / 10
“The Land Rover Discovery Sport combines seven-seat versatility with really impressive off-road abilities, and premium styling inside and out. It’s comfortable and easy to drive, and doesn’t pretend to be sporty. Still, it’s not the last word in agility or fuel economy, and there are lingering questions about its reliability.”
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Honest John+

Model reviewed: (range review)
Score: 6 / 10
“The Land Rover Discovery Sport is the stylish and luxurious replacement for the Freelander. However, forget like-for-like comparisons, because the Discovery Sport is miles ahead of its predecessor in on every level.”
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Model reviewed: Si4 petrol automatic
“The Land Rover Discovery Sport Si4 is an accomplished petrol SUV. It’s superbly refined and wonderfully upmarket. It also has van-like practicality. It’s just a pity that it cannot escape the fact that it feels like an expensive stopgap, until Land Rover develops a petrol hybrid technology.”
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Model reviewed: 2.0-litre diesel
“Interior build quality issues aside, the Land Rover Discovery Sport is still one of the best compact SUVs on the market and the Ingenium diesel is a superb feat of engineering, almost matching the typical running costs and refinement of a much larger petrol powertrain.”
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Motoring Research+

Model reviewed: Range overview
Score: 9 / 10
“As a family-friendly SUV with up to seven seats, the Land Rover Discovery Sport is superb. Especially when the going gets tough.”
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Parkers+

Model reviewed: Range review
Score: 8 / 10
“Stylish premium off-roader updated with new drivetrains, updated interior”
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The Sun+

Model reviewed: SD4 2.2-litre diesel automatic HSE Luxury
“School run or ski run, this is the most capable family SUV. Another star from JLR.”
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The Sunday Times+

Model reviewed: SD4 2.2-litre diesel automatic HSE Luxury
Score: 6 / 10
“t’s a strange car, this: billed as a replacement for the solid, no-nonsense Freelander, it is badged as a Discovery and sits on the same running gear as a Range Rover Evoque.” (Jeremy Clarkson)
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The Telegraph+

Model reviewed: Range overview
Score: 10 / 10
“Suggesting the Land Rover Discovery Sport is a jack of all trades is unfair, because it implies it’s a master of none. Granted, it’s expensive, and its fuel economy lets it down. But it shouldn’t be too costly to own in the round, thanks to strong resale values. And now that this facelift has made it even slicker than before, it’s brilliant almost everywhere else.”
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Top Gear+

Model reviewed: Range overview
Score: 8 / 10
“An SUV that rightfully ignores sportiness and focuses on comfort, flexibility and downright classiness.”
Read review

Model reviewed: Range review
“At five years old, the Discovery Sport still looks youthful. In another four years, they’ll need only change the skin and call it – huzzah – ‘new’ once again.”
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What Car?+

Model reviewed: (range review)
Score: 8 / 10
“The Land Rover Discovery Sport is a cleverly packaged SUV that’s practical, comfortable and good to drive.”
Read review

Safety rating

Independent crash test and safety ratings from Euro NCAP

Overall score: 5 stars
Date tested: December 2022
Read the full Euro NCAP review

Adult protection: 84%
Child protection: 89%
Vulnerable road users: 71%
Safety assist: 85%

Eco rating

Independent economy and emissions ratings from Green NCAP

Model tested: Discovery Sport D180 2.0-litre diesel automatic

Overall score: 1.5 stars
Date tested: February 2021
Read the full Green NCAP review

Clean Air Index: 5.8 / 10
Energy Efficiency Index: 2 / 10
Greenhouse Gas Index: 0.6 / 10

The Land Rover Discovery Sport D180 2.0-litre diesel automatic received a 1.5 star rating from Green NCAP in February 2021.

Green NCAP said: “The Land Rover Discovery Sport weighs over two tonnes and, in the 2.0-litre diesel form tested here, has a modest 180hp of power but a hefty 430 Nm of torque. With high and low-pressure exhaust gas recirculation, selective catalytic reduction and a diesel particulate filter, the car makes a fine job of controlling pollutant emissions, only NO_x being overly high in some of the more challenging tests.

“It is in the areas of Energy Efficiency and, especially, Greenhouse Gases that the vehicle struggles. Here, its high weight counts against it and values of CO₂ are high, the declared value of 188 g/km being achieved only in the cold-start laboratory test.

“Emissions of N₂O, a particularly potent greenhouse gas, are also high, contributing to a low index in this part of the assessment and dragging the average down to give an overall 1½ star rating.”

This rating only applies to the D180 2.0-litre diesel automatic version of the Discovery Sport, and does not imply similar ratings for other engine and gearbox combinations in the range.

Reliability rating

Reliability data provided exclusively for The Car Expert by MotorEasy

Total claims: 418
Average repair cost: £1257.99
Last updated: January 2024

Reliability score

All data based on MotorEasy average workshop costs for extended car warranty claims

The Land Rover Discovery Sport has a below-average reliability record of 43% as of January 2024, according to workshop and warranty data provided exclusively to The Car Expert by our partner, MotorEasy.

As well as a low reliability score, the Discovery Sport has a high cost of repairs, with an average bill of more than £1,200. Of most concern are engine faults, which are both the most common problem and the most expensive, with an average repair cost of £2,500.

Other faults are also more expensive than average as well, so if you own a Discovery Sport or are interested in purchasing a used one, make sure that any used car warranty you purchase covers all of the above areas.

Running cost rating

Monthly cost of ownership data provided exclusively for The Car Expert by Clear Vehicle Data

Fuel consumption	Average	Score	Variation	Score
Petrol models	30 mpg	E	28 – 30 mpg	E – E
Diesel models	42 mpg	D	39 – 45 mpg	C – D
Plug-in hybrid models	188 mpg	A	141 – 188 mpg	A – A

CO₂ output	Average	Score	Variation	Score
Petrol models	211 g/km	D	207 – 221 g/km	D – D
Diesel models	176 g/km	C	163 – 198 g/km	C – D
Plug-in hybrid models	34 g/km	A	34 – 44 g/km	A – A

Battery range	Average	Score	Variation	Score
Plug-in hybrid models	37 miles	D	34 – 40 miles	D – E

Insurance group	Average	Score	Variation	Score
All models	33	C	24 – 40	B – C

Service and maintenance	Cost	Score
Year 1	£303	C
Year 2	£654	C
Year 3	£1,091	C
Year 4	£1,363	C
Year 5	£1,860	C
Overall	£5,271	C

The [make and model] is a [relatively affordable/very expensive/insert as appropriate] car to own and run, according to whole-life cost numbers provided exclusively to The Car Expert by our data partner, Clear Vehicle Data.