The Discovery Sport was first launched in 2014 and is a compact luxury crossover SUV produced by Jaguar Land Rover under the Land Rover brand, showcasing an impressive range of features and has been the top selling model in the range several times.
Whilst it was introduced as a direct replacement for the Freelander, it has more practical space to offer its customers than its predecessor with a seven seat option available on most of the model range.
The 2025 Discovery Sport offers an excellent range of features, personalisation options, and efficient engines, making it an excellent choice for buyers and company car users alike.
The Discovery Sport was originally styled by Gerry McGovern, also the designer of the Freelander, and takes several of its design cues with the Discovery Vision concept vehicle. The model was facelifted in 2019 and updated the base to the Jaguar Land Rover Premium Transverse Architecture platform that is also used on the Range Rover Evoque. This has allowed the 2025 Discovery Sport to utilise both mild hybrid systems and a plug in hybrid engine.
The front and rear bumpers were updated with a widened track, the new LED front and rear lighting was added, the grille design was updated, new lower side mouldings were added, and you are now able to choose 21" alloy wheels for the first time on the Discovery Sport.
The facelift, however, has kept all of the key design features that make the Discovery absolutely unmistakable: a rising waistline and distinctive rear roof pillar to create a powerful and purposeful stance.
To make your Discovery Sport feel more like your own, there are a selection of solid, metallic, and premium metallic paint colours to choose from alongside a number of different alloy sizes and styles to create your desired look.
DuoLeather seats are standard, with an upgrade to Windsor Leather on Metropolitan models, and come with 12-way driver and 10-way passenger electric front seats. The driver seat also has a memory function, allowing you to easily switch between different positions for different drivers. Heated front seats are included as standard and are upgraded to heated and cooled on Metropolitan models alongside the addition of a heated steering wheel.
The optional panoramic glass roof (standard on higher trim levels) floods the cabin with natural light, making journeys feel brighter and giving everyone a better view of the surroundings as you travel.
The centre console houses an 11.4 floating touchscreen with the award-winning Pivi Pro infotainment system. Land Rover advertises that "all the key features you need are just two taps away", emphasising the ease of use and accessibility of the system. There's also a space below the touchscreen with a wireless charger installed, keeping you connected at all times.
The Pivi Pro system incorporates media usage such as Apple Carplay, Android Auto, Bluetooth, or DAB radio, as well as satellite navigation, temperature control and ventilation (the most sophisticated air technology of its class), and and the Discovery Sport's additional settings.
Some of the connectivity features will require mobile network connectivity and, therefore, a suitable data contract to allow this to run smoothly. An initial subscription of 1 year is included for new cars which covers Connected Features and a 3 year subscription for Connect Navigation Pro, and will need to be renewed by you at a cost after this to continue using the connectivity.
The Land Rover Discovery Sport offers generous space for a compact SUV, particularly for the core passengers. Headroom is excellent for front passengers, providing over a metre of space (1,003mm with a standard roof, increasing slightly to 1,021mm with the panoramic roof fitted). Second-row passengers also benefit from substantial headroom at 984mm.
The legroom in the front is comfortable at 993mm, while the second row is also very accommodating, offering up to 968mm of space. This flexibility is often enhanced by the second-row seats' ability to slide and recline if that option is fitted opposed to the fixed second row seats.
However, the vehicle's compact dimensions mean the optional third row of seats is best suited for occasional use or for children. With a maximum legroom of 665mm, the third row is typically considered a '5+2' arrangement, providing a useful backup for short trips rather than comfortable accommodation for larger adults on long journeys.
Boot space in the Discovery Sport is good in all seat configurations. In the standard arrangement of five seats there are 897 litres of boot space when all seats are in use and folding the second row seats down will open it up to 1794 litres. Choosing the optional third row seats in your Discovery Sport still allows you to use the boot but brings the space down to just 157 litres, similar to what you would find in a small hatchback.
The flexibility of the Discovery Sport is part of what makes it such a popular model: choose to carry up to seven people, use the expansive luggage space, or switch between the two as you need to!
2025 Discovery Sport models currently offer both diesel mild hybrid and petrol plug in hybrid engines, providing impressive fuel economy while allowing flexibility as you build your Discovery Sport model to suit your driving needs. Any of the available engines combined with launch traction control, gradient release control, hill launch assist, and hill descent control allows the Discovery Sport to take on any journey.
Combining an electric motor and battery with the combustion engine, mild hybrid technology improves fuel efficiency and cuts emissions; however, unlike a plug-in hybrid, it is incapable of running the car solely on electric power. The 2025 Discovery Sport offers two mild hybrid engine options.
Utilising a 2.0 litre, 4 cylinder diesel engine with an electric motor and battery, the D165 engine provides 163hp and 380Nm of torque, contributing to its off road ability . Available only as an automatic with all wheel drive, you'll be able to tackle any road with ease.
Performance varies little depending on whether you're is a 5 seat model or a model with a third row of seats; 0-60mph take 9.5 seconds with five seats and 9.8 seconds with the additional third row as it adds extra weight to the car (1,949kg vs 2028kg), and the range figures reflect these performance differences . As well as this, there's a slight difference in WLTP combined figures, up to 43.1mpg for five seats and up to 42.2mpg for seven seats, and for CO2 emissions, up to 181g/km for five seats and up to 184g/km for seven seats.
These are very small differences that aren't going to make a huge impact on every day use based on official manufacturer's tests results. This engine is available on Discovery Sport Dynamic S and Landmark models but not on Metropolitan models.
For a little more from the 2.0 litre diesel engines, the D200 mild hybrid offers 204hp and 430Nm of torque, equipping it even better for tough terrain and driving in all conditions. Again, it's only available with automatic transmission and all wheel drive.
WLTP combined figures are similar to the D165 engine at up to 43.2mpg for five seats and up to 42.2mpg for seven seats whilst the combined CO2 emission figures are a little higher at up to 186g/km for five seats and up to 184g/km for seven seater models. Land Rover notes the same weights for the D200 models as it does for D165 models.
The D200 diesel mild hybrid engine is available on all 2025 Discovery Sport models.
A Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicle (PHEV) utilises a combustion engine alongside a sizeable battery, allowing for an all-electric range usually adequate for daily commutes. This configuration dramatically improves fuel economy over standard non-electrified four-wheel drive vehicles.
While plugging in is necessary to fully charge the battery, it also receives power via regenerative braking and can be topped up by the combustion engine acting as a generator. Once the electric-only range is exhausted, the PHEV automatically reverts to functioning as a full hybrid, using both power sources together for optimal efficiency.
The plug in hybrid model of the Discovery Sport is the P270e, which combines a 1.5 litre engine with a 15kWh battery to provide 269hp and 540Nm of torque, making it a more powerful production vehicle than the diesel mild hybrid options.
The biggest differences that the PHEV model offer are the fuel efficiency and emission figures. The combined WLTP figure is estimated to be up to 190.4mpg whilst CO2 emissions are reduced to up to 36g/km - both huge improvements compared the diesel mild hybrid engines. You'll also have an estimated electric only range up to 37.3 miles which should allow you to complete many of your daily journeys on this alone.
As the name suggests, the car does need to be plugged in to recharge the battery and can be done either with a home charging point, public fast charging point, or even a standard domestic plug if necessary. A rapid DC charging point up to 32kW charges to 80% in just 30 minutes whilst a 7kw home charger takes around 2 hours 10 minutes to charge to a 100% and a standard plug is considerably longer at 6 hours 40 minutes.
Opting for the plug in hybrid model does require sacrificing a little elsewhere with the 2025 Discovery Sport. To accommodate the hybrid components, mainly the battery and the rear electric motor, there is no option for the flexible third row of seats although it does ensure gross vehicle weight is the same as a seven seat model. It also affects towing capacity, with the maximum reduced from 2,200kg on the mild hybrid models to 1,600kg on the PHEV model.
The P270e plug in hybrid engine is available on all 2025 Discovery Sport models.
The 2025 Discovery Sport has three trim levels available: Dynamic S, Landmark, and Metropolitan.
Some optional equipment availability remains market dependent but all the key features listed below are available on the Discovery Sport range in 2025 and the full model range is incredibly well equipped.
All models also include a 12 month subscription to Secure Tracker Pro, giving you peace of mind that your car has extra security from the day you drive away from the dealership.
Discovery Sport Dynamic S models offer the vehicle standard specification, giving you an incredibly well equipped car regardless of which model you choose.
Exterior car features include 18" Style 5074 wheels, heated windscreen, LED headlights, heated rear window, front and rear parking aids, heated and electric power fold door mirrors with approach lights and auto-dimming driver side, rear animated directional indicators, front and rear recovery eyes, a rear camera, and keyless entry.
The interior has DuoLeather seats, 12-way driver and 10-way passenger electric driver memory front seats with 2-way manual headrests, wireless device charging, a digital driver's display, two-zone climate control with second row vents and temperature control, and heated front seats.
The centre console houses the 11.4" touchscreen adn this allows access to DAB radio, Apple Carplay and Android Auto, and there's also an online pack with a data plan. Elsewhere there are a number of USB charging ports for devices in all seating rows, allowing your passengers to stay entertained and connected.
The Discovery Sport Landmark upgrades several of the standard features and adds additional equipment.
On the exterior the wheels are upgraded to 19" Style 5136 Gloss Dark Grey wheels with Diamond Turned contrast, a fixed panoramic roof, LED headlights with signature DRL, powered tailgate, black roof rails, and auto high beam assist.
The interior changes include metal treadplates with Landmark branding, Click and Go integrated base unit, an Interactive driver display, a Meridian Sound System, and manual slide and recline second row seats. There are also changes across transmission and dynamics, with adaptive cruise control and a 3D surround camera added.
The top trim Discovery Sport Metropolitan offers the most comprehensive list of features, and is reflected in its higher price.
The wheels are upgraded again to 20" Style 5079 Diamond Turned with Gloss Dark Grey contrast, whilst matrix LED headlights with signature DRL, blind spot monitoring, rear collision monitor, and rear traffic monitor are all added.
Inside, the seats are covered with Windsor leather and the front seats are now 14-way electric with memory function and heated and cooled. The Meridian sound system is also upgraded to include surround sound and heated steering wheel, cabin air purification plus, and a head-up display are added.
The Land Rover Discovery Sport has a five star safety rating from Euro NCAP, the highest award available, and applies to all models aside from the PHEV model as they have identified that it needs further testing.
As standard, all 2025 Discovery Sport vehicles have a curation of driver assistance and safety features which have contributed to its high rating. These are emergency braking, cruise control with speed limiter, lane keep assist, traffic sign recognition and adaptive speed limiter, all terrain progress control, terrain response 2, and driver condition monitor.
Further systems that assist with transmission and dynamics include hill launch assist, dynamic stability control, electronic traction control, roll stability control, hill descent control, brake hold, anti-lock braking system, electronic brake-force distribution, and trailer stability assist.
Euro NCAP noted in their testing, "The autonomous emergency braking (AEB) system of the Land Rover can respond to vulnerable road users as well as to other vehicles. The system performed adequately in tests of its response to pedestrians and well in tests of its response to cyclists, with collisions avoided in most cases."
Whilst Land Rover has had some unavoidable issues with local market availability in recent years, stocking has returned mostly to normal and model availability shouldn't be an issue. However, if you are looking for something incredibly specific you may need to wait for a model to be built.
For all questions about the 2025 Land Rover Discovery Sport, including about purchase and finance options, the team at Pentland Land Rover are always available. We have dealerships in Elgin, Dundee, Perth, Stirling, Edinburgh Newbridge, and Edinburgh Fort Kinnard and our teams are incredibly knowledgeable. We look forward to welcoming you to test drive soon!
