By Otsile Kadiege

In a bid to make the often forgotten Discovery Sport more appealing to customers, Land Rover South Africa announced that the nameplate received subtle exterior updates, higher specifications and two new editions – Metropolitan and Landmark.

Exterior updates and new editions

The latest Discovery Sport line-up, which starts with the visually-enhanced Dynamic S, introduces fresh alloy wheel designs as well as new curated option packs. There are two newly added editions, namely Metropolitan and Landmark. Here’s what you get with each edition:

Discovery Sport Metropolitan – On the outside, the Metropolitan edition is distinguished by Atlas Silver Discovery script on its bonnet and tailgate, and Indus Silver finished front and rear under-shields. The front grille features a distinctive silver foil insert, while Metropolitan branded tread-plates are revealed when the doors are open. It also has new 20-inch Diamond Turned multi-spoke alloy wheels, optionally available with a Gloss Black finish.

Inside, the Metropolitan features Windsor Leather with 14-way electrically adjustable heated and cooled seats and a host of extra comfort and convenience features. These include a 650W 14-speaker (plus dual-channel subwoofer) Meridian Surround Sound System, ingenious Clear-sight Rear View Mirror for enhanced rearward visibility – even with a car full of people and pets – and Cabin Air Purification Plus to create a travelling environment that’s a breath of fresh air.

Discovery Sport Landmark – The Discovery Sport Landmark is identified by the mountain range logo that was first seen on the original 1989 Discovery. For Discovery Sport this instantly recognizable logo appears on the aluminium tread-plates, alongside Landmark script. At night, the familiar logo illuminates on the ground when unlocking the vehicle, with puddle lights projecting from the underside of the door mirrors.

Inside, the Discovery Sport Landmark gets slide and recline functionality for the second row seats and a panoramic roof to create a light and airy cabin. Click & Go media holders keep the family in the second row entertained, while a Surround View Camera aids manoeuvring and roof rails maximize versatility.

Powertrain

The Discovery Sport Metropolitan and Landmark editions are powered by two engines – a hybridised turbo-petrol engine and a turbo-diesel engine. The former is Land Rover’s P300e powerplant which is a hybrid 1.5-litre three-cylinder turbo-petrol engine paired with an 8-speed automatic transmission. The total system output is 227kW and 540Nm. Land Rover claims the AWD models take 6.6 seconds to accelerate from 0-100 km/h.

The D200 is a 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbo-diesel engine developing 147kW and 430Nm. It’s paired with a 9-speed automatic transmission and has a claimed fuel-consumption of 6.1l/100km. Its 66 litres fuel tank avails a claimed 1 066 litres when filled to the brim.

Pricing

Discovery Sport Metropolitan D200 – R1,427,900

Discovery Sport Landmark D200 – R1,362,900

Discovery Sport Metropolitan P300e – R1,825,600

Discovery Sport Landmark P300e – R1,740,500