Skip to main content
  1. Home
  2. Cars
  3. News

2020 Land Rover Discovery Sport uses cameras to spot off-road obstacles

Stephen Edelstein
By
1 of 15
2020 Land Rover Discovery Sport
2020 Land Rover Discovery Sport
2020 Land Rover Discovery Sport
2020 Land Rover Discovery Sport
2020 Land Rover Discovery Sport
2020 Land Rover Discovery Sport
2020 Land Rover Discovery Sport
2020 Land Rover Discovery Sport
2020 Land Rover Discovery Sport
2020 Land Rover Discovery Sport
2020 Land Rover Discovery Sport
2020 Land Rover Discovery Sport
2020 Land Rover Discovery Sport
2020 Land Rover Discovery Sport
2020 Land Rover Discovery Sport

In Land Rover’s increasingly complicated lineup, the Discovery Sport is positioned as a more practical alternative to the fashion-forward Range Rover Evoque. With the Evoque getting a redesign for the 2020 model year, it was time for the Discovery Sport to go under the knife as well. Hitting showrooms this summer, the 2020 Land Rover Discovery Sport gets an array of new tech features and a mild-hybrid powertrain, while keeping its traditional Land Rover ruggedness.

The new Discovery Sport is based on the same Premium Transverse Architecture Platform as the 2020 Evoque, making the Discovery Sport 13 percent stiffer than before, according to Land Rover. It may be new under the skin, but the Discovery Sport looks mostly the same on the outside, with a fairly subtle restyling meant to reference its big sibling, the (non-Sport) Discovery. The 2020 Discovery Sport keeps what Land Rover calls a “5+2” seating layout, with a cramped third row designed only for occasional use.

Related Videos

Land Rover gave the 2020 Discovery Sport the same mild-hybrid powertrain as the 2020 Evoque: A gasoline engine teamed with an electric starter-generator and 48-volt electrical system. The powertrain harvests energy normally lost during braking and stores it in a small battery pack to be redeployed later. The system provides an electric boost when accelerating away from a stop. It also can shut off the engine completely when slowing to a stop — all in the name of saving fuel. The mild-hybrid powertrain is rated at 286 horsepower, but base Discovery Sport models will get a stand-alone gasoline engine without the hybrid system that makes 246 hp.

Related

The 2020 Discovery Sport also gets a streaming video rearview mirror. Similar to devices already available from other automakers, it turns the rearview mirror to a screen that shows video from a rear-mounted camera, allowing for an unobstructed view when backing up. Another camera system can show a 180-degree view beneath the vehicle on the central touchscreen. Land Rover claims this will be handy for tackling rough terrain, or just avoiding high curbs. Other available driver aids include adaptive cruise control with steering assist, lane keep assist, autonomous emergency braking, and a driver attention monitor.

Moving elsewhere inside the cabin, the Discovery Sport gets wireless phone charging and a built-in Wi-Fi hot spot for the first time. Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are on the menu as well, along with a Smart Settings function for the infotainment system that can learn driver preferences for things like seat position, music, and climate control.

While it will likely be purchased mostly by rich suburbanites, the Discovery Sport is still a Land Rover, so it needs to be good off-road. It gets Land Rover’s familiar Terrain Response 2 system, which adjusts vehicle settings for different surfaces. Land Rover also boasted that the Discovery Sport can wade into up to 23.6 inches of water — something most owners will likely never dream of doing. A maximum tow rating of 4,409 pounds is fairly respectable for a vehicle of this size.

The 2020 Land Rover Discovery Sport goes on sale in the United States this summer. Pricing will be revealed closer to the launch date.

Updated on June 7, 2019: After this article was originally published, Land Rover reached out to Digital Trends saying it had misstated the output of the mild-hybrid powertrain in the original press release as 296 hp. The article has been updated to include the correct power output of 286 hp.

Editors' Recommendations

Topics
Ram EV concept previews truck brand’s electric future
The Ram 1500 Revolution BEV concept was designed around an electric powertrain.

Electric pickup trucks are a hot trend in the auto industry, and Ram is late to the game. So the truck brand of massive automaker Stellantis needed to work hard to stand out.
Unveiled at CES 2023, the Ram 1500 Revolution BEV concept shows what Ram has in mind for its first production electric truck, which is scheduled to arrive in 2024. This concept version combines some features we’ve already seen on other electric trucks with a few clever new ideas. So while it may be revolutionary for the Ram brand, which is new to EVs, it’s more evolutionary when compared to other electric pickups.

Unmistakably electric
The Ram 1500 Revolution has the bulky appearance of a traditional truck, but with proportions that clearly mark it as an EV. With no need to accommodate an engine, the hood is much shorter. This allowed designers to make the cabin four inches longer than today’s internal-combustion Ram 1500 without shortening the bed, Ram claims. The grille is also smaller, although Ram compensated for this with a giant light-up logo and headlights with the same “tuning fork” elements as its current gasoline and diesel truck grilles.
The roofline is a bit lower and sleeker, which probably helps with aerodynamics, but like a traditional truck, the Revolution rolls on massive wheels and tires. The 35-inch tires are wrapped around 24-inch wheels with smooth covers and light-up elements. The charge port, meanwhile, is located in the driver’s side front fender. It makes a noise when the truck has started charging and blinks to show that charging is ongoing.
Like rival truck makers, Ram incorporated a frunk where the engine would normally be, plus the RamBox storage bins from its current trucks. Nearly every opening, including the tailgate, frunk, and charge port, is also power-operated.
Underpinning all of this power-operated convenience is the STLA Frame dedicated EV platform, one of four such platforms Stellantis plans to use for future EVs across its many brands, such as Chrysler and Jeep.

Read more
Mercedes EV charging hubs are coming to North America by the end of the decade
What a future Mercedes-Benz EV charging hub might look like.

You can't have more electric cars without more charging stations, so Mercedes-Benz is building a global charging network covering North America, China, Europe, and other major markets to support its goal of going all-electric by the end of the decade where market conditions allow.

Announced at CES 2023, the network should be in place by the end of the decade in line with Mercedes' electrification goal. It's a bold move by the automaker, which has mostly relied on third-party charging networks until now.

Read more
Amazon Alexa aims to streamline the EV charging experience
Amazon Alexa lists EV charging station locations on a vehicle touchscreen.

While the number of EV charging stations continues to grow, finding a station and paying for charging can still be a hassle. But soon you'll be able to simply ask Alexa.

At CES 2023, Amazon announced Alexa-enabled charging services that will let EV drivers find a charging station via Alexa, as well as pay for charging at certain stations when they become available to drivers in the U.S. later in 2023. You'll need a car with Alexa integration or an accessory like one of Amazon's Echo Auto devices, however.

Read more