Land Rover Discovery Sport P300e Dynamic SE 2024 Review
Land Rover’s Discovery Sport P300e PHEV is not the most comprehensively equipped model in the range, but it scores aces with its power, space, thriftiness and cleanlinessThe PHEV driveline introduced in Land Rover’s flagship Discovery Sport P300e Dynamic SE in late 2023 was already familiar in the smaller (though still a mid-size SUV) Evoque model that adopted the system in 2022. Despite being heavier, the Discovery Sport PHEV delivers performance and fuel economy gains to underpin the logic of the company’s hybrid-based diesel-ditching strategy. And PHEV technology was not the only feature introduced to the 4x4 specialist’s mid-size SUV in 2023: The Discovery Sport also gained extended electronic functionality and a revitalised dash with a curved touch-screen, attracting more attention from premium buyers.
How much does the Land Rover Discovery Sport P300e Dynamic SE cost?
Although it’s not the best-equipped model in the Land Rover Discovery Sport range, the P300e Dynamique SE (quite a mouthful) is the most expensive because of its PHEV drivetrain.
At the top of the Discovery Sport tree, the P300e Dynamic SE passes the 100K barrier at $101,382 without factoring in on-road costs. Obvious competitors include the Audi Q5 55 TFSI e S-Line at $105,984 and the $81,600 Mazda CX-60 P50e GT. Not so obvious as a competitor but a worthy placegetter in the list of alternatives is the Spanish-built, front-drive Cupra Formentor VZe PHEV which is tagged at $64,990. Smaller than Discovery Sport, Audi Q5 and Mazda CX-60 in all measurements, the Cupra is nevertheless classed as a mid-size SUV.
Discovery Sport buyers not shopping for a PHEV will find alternatives within the lineup that include the second-rung conventional-engined P250 2.0-litre turbo P250 Dynamic HSE (with extras not fitted to the SE-trim P300e including active-shadowing headlights and heated and cooled front seats) at $91,825, or the $82,275 P250 Dynamic SE and the $73,504 P200 S.
What equipment comes with the Land Rover Discovery Sport P300e Dynamic SE?
The Land Rover Discovery Sport P300e Dynamic SE is an able representative of the upmarket SUV class with its plush-cushioned part-leather seating, meticulous, minimalist cabin architecture and plenty of standard creature comforts.
These include a power tailgate, an 11-speaker, sub-woofer-equipped sound system, powered front seats, two-zone climate control, integrated sat-nav on the new 11.4-inch touch-screen, a redesigned shift lever and a three-spoke multi-function steering wheel.
Land Rover claims that the Discovery Sport’s interior air quality technology is among the best in its category, with advanced filtration and CO2 management combined with bacteria and virus-inhibiting nanoe X technology.
Options include a panoramic sunroof ($3040) and heated front seats ($860).
The Discovery Sport is covered by an industry-standard five-year/unlimited-kilometre warranty with five years of roadside assist. Further to that, the P300e Dynamic SE’s PHEV battery is covered for eight years or 160,000km, whichever comes first.
Fixed-price servicing plans offer up to five years of coverage, or a pre-determined distance up to 102,000km, with all Discovery Sport models, including the PHEV, priced at $2,100 per service.
How safe is the Land Rover Discovery Sport P300e Dynamic SE?
The Discovery Sport PHEV doesn’t come with every last safety feature known to humankind – the airbag count is seven, with no front-centre airbag, and front and side parking cameras are a $650 option – but the Discovery Sport P300e Dynamic SE’s safety technology is reasonably extensive.
Most familiar safety technologies, such as autonomous emergency braking (high and low-speed), pedestrian avoidance, lane-keep assist, blind-spot monitoring with active assist, rear (but not front) cross-traffic alert, driver alertness monitoring, road-sign recognition and tyre-pressure monitoring, are included.
ANCAP tested the Discovery Sport PHEV for crash safety in 2022 and awarded a five-star safety rating.
What technology does the Land Rover Discovery Sport P300e Dynamic SE feature?
The Discovery Sport’s new, rounded touch-screen operates through Land Rover’s latest Pivi Pro software and has a particularly helpful feature: the side bars directing access to major functions – such as media, volume, climate, and navigation – enable 90 per cent of available tasks to be reached within two finger-taps.
Along with that, the Discovery Sport offers four USB C chargers – two in the front and two in the back – plus two 12-volt chargers – one for back-seat passengers and one in the rear load area.
What powers the Land Rover Discovery Sport P300e Dynamic SE?
The Discovery Sport P300e Dynamic SE’s 1.5-litre 147kW three-cylinder turbo engine drives the front wheels, while the back wheels don’t require a propellor shaft and are the sole responsibility of the 80kW electric motor. Hence the 4x4 status. This makes for an all-up power output of 227kW, with 540Nm of torque.
And the driveline, if you are worried about the battery running out of charge just when AWD is needed, is configured in a way that ensures a constant state of charge is always available to the rear motor.
The drive system offers three basic modes, beginning with the default Hybrid mode which shuffles between the three-cylinder petrol engine and the rear-mounted electric motor, the EV mode that utilises the electric motor only, and the Save mode in which the petrol engine ensures that the battery maintains charge.
How fuel efficient is the Land Rover Discovery Sport P300e Dynamic SE?
The quoted fuel consumption figures for PHEVs involve the use of smoke and mirrors. PHEV owners will rarely, if ever, meet officially-stated claims that can only be equalled by relying almost-exclusively on a very limited-range battery pack. The claimed EV-only range of 66km for the Discovery Sport PHEV is therefore optimistic.
While it is possible to extract fuel economy as low as 2.1L/100km out of the Discovery Sport PHEV, the bulk of owners will rarely manage that unless the 14.9kW/h lithium-ion battery pack is kept in a highly-charged state, enabling the electric motor to do most of the work. Run the battery down as far as it is prepared to go – this means driving the Discovery Sport PHEV exclusively on battery power for up to a claimed 66km – and the Discovery Sport PHEV returns to being a normal, engine-dependent hybrid. It doesn’t remain an EV for long.
Nevertheless, if your daily drive is 60km or less, there’s the chance of regularly experiencing the Discovery Sport P300e as a full EV but, one without the range anxiety, because it can be topped up either at a charging station or a regular servo.
Plugging into a DC rapid charger, according to Land Rover, will see the battery build charge from zero to 80 per cent charge in as little as 30 minutes or, on a conventional wall socket, a claimed six hours and 42 minutes.
What is the Land Rover Discovery Sport P300e Dynamic SE like to drive?
The Discovery Sport P300e’s on-road behaviour is identifiably Land Rover with a well-damped, controlled ride, balanced on-road dynamics and quiet cabin.
The steering is weighted to appeal to a broad range of drivers – not light, and not heavy – and is quite quick at just 2.2 turns from lock to lock. Even though the PHEV Discovery Sport weighs more than two tonnes it doesn’t feel like a behemoth.
The ride, on coil-spring MacPherson Strut/multi-link suspension (no optional air suspension here), is nicely absorbent and quiet, and the Discovery Sport’s cornering ability – particularly considering the added weight of the hybrid battery – is pleasingly balanced.
The PHEV doesn’t have the quietest hybrid drivetrain we’ve experienced, with the three-cylinder turbo kicking up a bit of a buzz when working its way through the eight-speed torque-converter gearbox. It’s not harsh enough to be annoying though, and with its ability to accelerate to 100km/h in 6.6 seconds it rewards with a positive surge when asked.
But with a quoted towing ability of 1600kg the Discovery Sport P300e is short of the two tonnes that non-hybrid Discovery Sport models can manage.
Can the Land Rover Discovery Sport P300e Dynamic SE go off-road?
The Discovery Sport P300e doesn’t have the credentials to tackle hard-core off-roading. Despite a decent 212mm ground clearance (and a 600mm wading depth), there’s no dual-range gearbox and the combined petrol-electric 4x4 system has no direct mechanical link between the front engine and rear motor.
The latter isn’t a new principle and is found on a number of volume-market AWD hybrid SUVs. That aside, the Discovery Sport P300e does stay true to the basic Land Rover tenet of not being too scared of the odd back-track.
What is the Land Rover Discovery Sport P300e Dynamic SE like inside?
While it’s something of a surprise to note that it’s a tad shorter overall than a Toyota RAV4, the Discovery Sport, at 1905mm wide and 1727mm tall, stands high and wide for a mid-size SUV.
This makes for an SUV large enough to offer seating layouts for either seven or five passengers – the latter, for reasons best known to the product development department, only offered in the flagship P300e Dynamic SE variant reviewed here. The 40:20:40 split rear seat slides and reclines.
In the absence of third-row seating, and taking into account also the specific PHEV battery-electric configuration, the quoted luggage capacity is rated at a minimum of 897 litres with all five seats raised, to a maximum of 1794 litres with the back row folded flat.
Conventional-driveline, seven-seat Discovery Sport models measure from a minimum 157 litres (with the third-row seat in place) to a maximum of 1651 litres.
As a premium-class mid-size SUV, the P300e Dynamic SE is luxuriously trimmed out with a mix of real-leather and part leather and plenty of fine trim detail. The seats are generously padded and general all-round vision is assisted by extended camera technology that, in addition to all-round bird’s-eye viewing, also includes Land Rover’s Clearsight system to give a close look at what’s directly ahead of the vehicle when driving off-road, as well as an unobstructed digital look at what’s behind when backing up.
Should I buy a Land Rover Discovery Sport P300e Dynamic SE?
The Discovery Sport P300e Dynamic SE drops a few items from the more expensively trimmed but conventionally powered HSE variant, although the PHEV variant offsets the goodies with its sophisticated petrol-electric driveline. Customers face the choice of going all-out with technology or opting for a bit more luxury.
The question is whether being faster, cleaner and thriftier overrides a bit of extra comfort to justify a close-to $10,000 price premium over the more luxurious HSE?
2024 Land Rover Discovery Sport P300e Dynamic SE at a glance:
Price: $101,382 (plus on-road costs)
Available: Now
Powertrain: 1.5-litre three-cylinder turbo petrol-electric
Output: 147kW (electric motor: 80kW)
Combined output: 227kW/540Nm
Transmission: Eight-speed automatic
Battery: 14.9kWh lithium-ion
Range: 66km
Energy consumption: TBA
Fuel: 2.1L/100km
CO2: 49g/km
Safety rating: Five-star (ANCAP Year 2022)
Related: Discovery Sport 2024 Review – International
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Tags
- Lower running costs are real, as is the performance experience
- The Discovery Sport’s cabin tends to be more spacious than many other mid-size SUVs
- The Discovery Sport establishes a nice ride/handling balance for an SUV
- Reduced petrol consumption depends entirely on how the vehicle is used
- Intensely irritating audible warnings from the safety systems
- The three-cylinder turbo-petrol engine can be intrusive
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