The Land Rover badge coupled with plug-in hybrid capability will “likely be enough to convince a small mountain of buyers” to try this new hybrid Discovery Sport, says Matt Bird on PistonHeads. The “sheer number” of Discovery Sport models already on the road attests to their popularity and hybridisation was a natural next step.
The “chunky” SUV can dash to 62mph in under seven seconds and it hits top speeds of 130mph. It’s also able to reach around 40 miles on electric power alone “and you’d have to be a long way from the catchment area for that to be used up in a school run”. Because hybridisation “was always part of the plan”, the car seamlessly accommodates its new electric motor and 15kw battery pack. The new 1.5-litre engine “memorably and effectively” boosts the hybrid to a “competitive level”, supporting the electric motor “without fuss or delay”.
The engine “emits a typically pleasant three-pot thrum when used hard”, says Steve Cropley on Autocar, and the electric equipment smoothly awakens the car at traffic lights, with a “decent proportion” of the car’s power coming from its hybrid mechanism. “Integration seems excellent.” The steering and handling also “set a high standard” and the car is “compact” enough to be comfortable to drive in modern conditions. The ride is “supple and smooth”, the electric element keeps noise levels low and its energy consumption figures are simply “staggering”. Carbon-dioxide emissions come in at just 32g/km (the UK average is 122.1g/km), giving the Sport a company car tax rate of just 10%. That should help the car to impressive sales figures, but “those who buy it for tax reasons will soon discover they’ve chosen a good car into the bargain”.
Subscribe to MoneyWeek
Subscribe to MoneyWeek today and get your first six magazine issues absolutely FREE
Sign up to Money Morning
Don't miss the latest investment and personal finances news, market analysis, plus money-saving tips with our free twice-daily newsletter
Don't miss the latest investment and personal finances news, market analysis, plus money-saving tips with our free twice-daily newsletter
The styling remains similar to its fossil-fuel-consuming sisters because owners are more interested in knowing they’re “doing their environmental bit rather than virtue signalling the fact to all and sundry”, says Keith Jones on Car Magazine. And the adoption of an electric motor doesn’t affect its four-wheel-drive credentials, says John McIlroy on Auto Express. It has “bags of grip to give you confidence” no matter what the driving conditions, it can “glide around town without much effort at all” and, on the open road, the drive is “every bit as accomplished” as you’d expect from a Land Rover.
Price: from £47,000; Engine: 1.5-litre 3cyl petrol plus electric motor, 15kWh battery; Power/torque: 304bhp/540Nm; 0-60pmh: 6.2 seconds; Top speed: 130mph
-
Clinging to cash over investing fears? You could miss out on thousands of poundsOverly-cautious savers could get stuck with low returns now the Bank of England has cut interest rates again amid predictions the base rate has further to fall
-
Tesla seeks approval to supply electricity to UK homes – could it disrupt the energy market?Tesla has applied for a license to supply UK households with electricity, but taking on the biggest providers could prove challenging
-
Car finance mis-selling judgment could be a big blow for the banksOpinion The car finance mis-selling judgment could still be disastrous for big finance even though banks dodged the worst possible outcome
-
8 of the best houses for sale with dining terracesThe best houses for sale with dining terraces – from an Arts & Crafts property in Great Missenden, Buckinghamshire, to a duplex apartment in a garden square in Kensington with a decked roof terrace
-
Take a look under the bonnet of the classic car marketDearer money has taken the momentum out of the classic car market, says Chris Carter
-
8 of the best properties for sale with librariesWe look at eight of the best properties for sale with libraries – from an 1860s baronial mansion in Fife, Scotland, to a Grade II-listed manor in Gloucestershire with a library with flagstone floors and oak columns
-
8 of the best houses for sale with home cinemasHouses for sale with home cinemas – from a modern oast-house style property in Kent to a house in Buckinghamshire with Dolby sound and bespoke seating
-
8 of the best energy-efficient properties for saleThe best energy-efficient properties for sale – from a HUF HAUS in London’s Dulwich Village to a contemporary property in the Lake District National Park
-
8 of the best properties for sale for around £2 millionThe best properties for sale for around £2 million – from a former coach house in Richmond, London, to a substantial Georgian property with a gazebo by a lake in Banbury, Oxfordshire
-
8 of the best houses for sale with annexesThe best houses with annexes – from a period property in the Lake District to a 13th-century house with a two-bedroom annexe in Saltwood, Kent
