As the old saying goes, ‘if it ain’t broken, don’t fix it’ and you get the feeling that with this latest update Land Rover’s baby Discovery has taken a step backwards when it comes to interior usability.
Previously, you had a central touchscreen and a cluster of rotary knobs and buttons for the climate controls, which meant changing the temperature or fan speed was a seamless process.
They’re now gone, with the Disco following its Range Rover cousins by adopting a more minimalist cabin and JLR’s latest 11.4in Pivi Pro touchscreen.
It houses all of the car’s key functions, so rather than using the physical controls like before, you have to prod and poke around with the screen to use the air conditioning, and other useful features, which is far more distracting when you’re driving.
The screen itself is generally good but it’s far from perfect: there are far too many menus and sub menus to deal with, and some of the icons are frustratingly small which again makes it a challenge to use on the move – it’s also not the most responsive system either.
That said, it’s easy to connect your phone via Apple Carplay and Android Auto, which you’ll likely use most of the time, and the fit and finish of the cabin has a premium feel to it.
Some materials, like those in the centre console, feel a bit cheap, but there’s soft touch elements in all the right places and it feels robust, without sacrificing on quality.
When it comes to practicality the Discovery Sport really hits its stride. Head room is generous even if you add the optional panoramic roof, and the second-row of seats can slide for and aft to either increase leg room or boot capacity.
The diesels can be had with a third row of seats, with the plug-in hybrid losing out due to the boot space being taken up by the battery. With seven seats, it does give the Disco an added layer of versatility, even if it is only children who will find them comfortable over any distance.
Along with good storage – there are generous door bins and various other cubbies, plus a decently capacious boot – the Discovery Sport feels very much the archetypal multi-tool car, albeit one with no small sense of occasion.
