Land Rover is an iconic British brand, famed globally for its off-road and four-wheel drive vehicles. Land Rover is owned by Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) Automotive PLC, a leading luxury vehicle manufacturer with a distinctive reputation of being British and iconic.
However the automotive company is now owned by the leading Indian industrial conglomerate, the Tata Group. The blue chip, India headquartered company is a leading player in the automotive sector via its Tata Motors subsidiary based in Mumbai. Tata acquired Jaguar and Land Rover from Ford Motor Company in 2008. JLR continues to conduct its operations from Coventry in the United Kingdom.
For those of you new to zero-emission electric driving, we recommend a read of the following articles:
The Land Rover Discovery Sport has been a best-selling model for JLR. The luxury SUV was introduced in 2014 to replace the Freelander compact SUV. The Discovery Sport is part of the third generation of SUVs from the British automotive manufacturer. The SUV is now also available as a mild hybrid electric vehicle (MHEV) and a plug-in electric vehicle (PHEV). Land Rover has yet to announce a date for the introduction of the pure electric Discovery Sport.
The conventional combustion engine Discovery Sport family SUV has been popular for a good reason i.e. the enhanced practicality with the seven-seats. However, due to the placement of the onboard EV battery, the Discovery Sport plug-in hybrid electric vehicle, is limited to five-seats. Despite this loss of practicality, the PHEV variant makes up with its increased environmental credentials and better fuel economy, compared to the pure combustion engine variant.
The Discovery Sport plug-in offers an emission-free range up to 37 miles (WLTP certified), and incorporates a 15 kWh onboard EV battery. Both the range and EV battery size are typical of EVs of this type, however, the newest PHEVs have started to offer a larger EV battery i.e. more electric range.
Having said that, the claimed 37 miles, even adjusted for real-world driving, will be more than sufficient for most daily driving needs. Expect a real-world range closer to 31 miles. By leveraging the advantage of the cheaper cost of driving on electric mode (5 -10 pence per mile) and improving the overall efficiency of the electric vehicle (EV), families can save substantial money on commuting.
Land Rover claims a fuel economy up to 188.3 mpg. However, to achieve anything close to this claimed economy, driving on the zero-emission e-mode on a regular basis is imperative. Of course, if you drive mostly on the motorway and need to call on the internal combustion engine (ICE) for most of your driving, the advantage of driving a plug-in hybrid EV is substantially reduced and the cost of motoring increased!
To leverage the benefits of electric driving, having a fully charged EV battery is imperative. The Sport PHEV can be charged up to 32 kW DC charging: 0-80%: 30 minutes. Do keep in mind that not all plug-in electric cars are capable of DC rapid charging. In all probability, on most occasions, the EV will be charged overnight at home (AC charging).
We at e-zoomed recommend the use of a dedicated EV charger for home charging. The single-phase easee EV charger is a good example. The PHEV can be charged up to 80% in just over 2 hours. The plug-in electric SUV incorporates a 7 kW onboard EV charger.
We also recommend a ‘topping up’ approach to EV charging. This way, the electric miles can be used more often, and regular topping up of the EV battery is beneficial for the long-term health of the EV battery. Land Rover offers a 6 years or 60,000 miles warranty.
In terms of performance, the all-wheel drive Land Rover Discovery Sport P300e PHEV is decent. The EV pairs a 1.5-litre (3-cylinder) petrol combustion engine with an electric motor. Despite the size and weight (2,168 kg) of the EV, acceleration is good: 0-60 mph in 6.2 seconds and a 130 mph top speed (maximum power: 309 HP/ torque: 540 Nm). The drive is refined and in e-mode the ride quality is even better and quieter!
The EV has much to offer in terms of practicality. For a start, the five-seat interior cabin is spacious and high quality. There is ample headroom and legroom for all occupants, and the visibility from the vehicle is good. Moreover the driver seat is well positioned, enabling an ‘easy-to-drive’ large family SUV experience. In terms of boot space, the EV offers up to 963 L, which is certainly very generous.
The EV has a good level of standard kit on offer, to include: Pivi Pro with connected navigation, Android Auto, Apple CarPlay, 10″ touchscreen, traffic sign recognition and adaptive speed limiter, lane keep assist, rear camera, adaptive cruise control, roll stability control, dynamic stability control, powered tailgate, keyless entry and more.
For company-car drivers, there is also the added advantage of a lower Benefit-in-Kind (BiK-11%) tax rate, given the lower tailpipe emissions for the PHEV (38g CO2/km). For the conventional combustion engine variant, tailpipe emissions are as high as 211g CO2/km. Do keep in mind, the lower the tailpipe emissions, the less polluted is the local air quality, and on EV mode, the tailpipe emissions are zero.
The EV is suitable for both families and company-car drivers. Company-car drivers can take advantage of the lower Benefit-in-Kind (BiK) tax rate for electric cars. Bottom-line, electric driving is good for the environment and the wallet.
You can lease electric vehicles (EVs) via e-zoomed at very competitive prices!
The Land Rover Discovery Sport Plug-In Hybrid SUV (credit:JLR)
While e-zoomed uses reasonable efforts to provide accurate and up-to-date information, some of the information provided is gathered from third parties and has not been independently verified by e-zoomed. While the information from the third party sources is believed to be reliable, no warranty, express or implied, is made by e-zoomed regarding the accuracy, adequacy, completeness, legality, reliability or usefulness of any information. This disclaimer applies to both isolated and aggregate uses of this information.
