Jaguar Land Rover (Malaysia) Sdn Bhd (JLRM) has successfully launched the new Land Rover Discovery Sport, the world’s most versatile and capable premium compact SUV, and the first member of the new Discovery family, right here in Malaysia!
Available in two engine options – the Si4 Petrol is priced from RM399,000 (price is with GST but excludes road tax, registration and insurance) while the price for the SD4 Diesel will be announced at a later date.
At 4,590 mm long, Discovery Sport’s footprint is 239 mm shorter than the 7-seat Land Rover Discovery while its generous wheelbase of 2,741 mm creates exceptional legroom. This has also allowed Land Rover designers to pull the alloy wheels out towards all four corners of the vehicle. The result is a visually robust, compact stance and low centre of gravity that’s suggestive of Discovery Sport’s agile, planted driving experience. Sleek, wraparound corners further reduce visual bulk of the front overhang.
The Discovery Sport’s interior has been designed with customers at its core. It features high-quality materials and a strong vertical centre console graphic to reflect the premium design of the exterior. Storage solutions are integrated into the cabin and up to four 12V power points and six USB charging sockets can be specified for all three rows of seating, allowing multiple electronic devices to be charged simultaneously.
A host of innovations have allowed Discovery Sport to introduce the of 5+2 seating into the premium compact SUV class for the first time. An all-new multi-link rear axle not only provides engaging driving dynamics but it also provides ample and flexible cabin space behind the second row. Apart from that, the second-row seating is offered with tilt-and-slide functionality, and is individually adjustable with a 60:40 split. This enables row-two occupants to recline their seats or slide them forwards or back by a class-leading 160 mm. It also provides as much as 112 mm of knee-room and 1,011 mm of leg-room – almost as accommodating as a Range Rover. Alternatively, load capacity can be increased as desired from 829 litres to as much as 981 litres with row-two seats in place.
At launch, the Discovery Sport will be offered in either a 2.2-litre turbodiesel engine or a 2.0-litre petrol engine. The SD4 2.2-litre turbodiesel engine produces 190 PS and 420 Nm of torque. Fitted with 9-speed automatic gearbox, the SD4 can accelerate from 0-100 km/h in just 8.9 seconds and reach up to 188 km/h where conditions allow.
The Si4 2.0-litre petrol engine on the other hand, features an advanced low-inertia turbocharger, high-pressure direct fuel injection and variable valve timing to deliver 240 PS and 340 Nm of torque. When combined with ZF 9HP48 9-speed automatic gearbox, the Si4 is capable of sprinting from 0-100 km/h in 8.2 seconds whilst reaching a top speed of 199 km/h.
Not only does it looks good from the outside, the Discovery Sport also offers an all-terrain performance courtesy of 600 mm wading depth, optimised approach, departure and break-over angles and Terrain Response System.
The Terrain Response allows Discovery Sport’s steering, throttle response, gearbox, centre-coupling and braking/stability systems to be precisely tailored to the demands of the terrain. The system features 4 settings: General; Grass/Gravel/Snow (for slippery conditions on- and off-road); Mud and Ruts; and Sand. Although the Discovery Sport is proven to be a capable SUV, owners will very likely not want to take this luxury ride off-road!
In terms of safety, there’s a total of 7 airbags available as standard feature including the driver and passanger, knee and side curtain and thorax airbags. Other safety features include Hill Descent Control (HDC), Gradient Release Control (GRC), Anti-Lock Braking System (ABS), Electronic Traction Control (ETC), Electronic Power Assisted Steering (EPAS), Hill Start Assist, Roll Stability Control (RSC), and Dynamic Stability Control (DSC).
In conjunction with the official launch of the new Discovery Sport, the company also took the opportunity to highlight the unique all-terrain ability of the Discovery Sport via a state-of-the-art mobile man-made track called the Terrapod.
The Discovery Sport had little difficulty tackling steep slopes and inclines on the Terrapod. Its body has been specially optimised to cope with challenging off-road terrain, with 212 mm of ground clearance and class-leading approach, departure and breakover angles of 25, 31 and 21 degrees respectively. This means the front, middle or rear of the vehicle can climb up, over and down extreme obstacles at low-speed.
The Efficient Driveline full-time four-wheel-drive variants offered in Malaysia can also scale incredibly steep gradients of 45 degrees, as much as 14 degrees more than other competitor SUVs. In extreme situations, lower trim on the front bumper can be removed to increase the approach angle still further.
The Land Rover Terrapod experience is open to the public during the Discovery Sport Open Day. It is located at the 1 Utama Shopping Centre (Old Wing) outdoor carpark on August 22and 23, 2015 from 11.00 am till 9.00 pm. Click here to register for the event, early birds who register online will also receive a limited-edition Land Rover gift, while stocks last.
Don’t forget to read our full test drive review of the new Land Rover Discovery Sport here, and check out our photo gallery below!
