Originally Posted by
TB
We bought a DS because of its 7 seat option. Heading off road was not part of the initial appeal, that's just something I've stumbled onto after the fact. Based on my experiences I started wondering what the most capable Discovery Sport would be and how much it would cost. Here's what I figure so far...
All 2017 DS variants get Terrain Response, and all but the entry level TD4 150 engine variants get All-Terrain Progress Control as well. They all have the 9 speed auto with its crucial extra-low 1st gear ratio. The one piece of off-road ability you have to option in to is the Active Driveline, which does a similar job to a locking rear diff in tricky situations. Active Driveline is only offered as an option with the TD4 180 engine.
The spec sheet is showing a more powerful SD4 (177kW and 500Nm) which includes Active Driveline as standard, but I can't find any sign of that being for sale here yet.
The base price, driveway, for an SE spec TD4 180 in Queensland is $65,630.
Active Driveline is a $1,710 option.
I would also insist that the TPMS option is added for $660.
If going off-road is prioritised, the 3rd row seat option has to be ruled out – the space taken up by those seats limits you to a skinny spare. 5 seats and a full size spare is the way to go.
The SE comes standard with 18" wheels, which are a good choice because both the General Grabber AT and the BFG KO2 are available in 255/55R18. HSE and HSE Lux can select 18" rims as a no-cost option, downsizing from the standard 19's on those models. The Discovery Sport uses a 29" diameter tyre and can handle 255mm width without a problem. Neither of these tyre options are LT construction but they're miles better than the OEM rubber when away from bitumen. A set of five will set you back around $2,000 – less for the GGs and more for the BFGs unless you can find a good special. (17" wheels are also a no-cost option with more AT tyre choices in 245/65R17 size if you prefer D697s, Maxxis, Hankook or just want more sidewall.)
One final but crucial addition is a spring lift. The standard Discovery Sport just doesn't have enough ground clearance to keep company with most "real" 4WDs. The Eibach springs claim 30mm increase but gave me a bit more than that, and they ship to you for about $550. Installing them is a bit of a job, so labour costs are almost certain to be a bit higher than that again, perhaps $800 or so.
The grand total is a bit past $70K. There are compromises in this package, for sure, but there's a lot of capability on offer along with the real pleasure that the baby Land Rover delivers in day-to-day use. A meaningfully better full-size Discovery SE SD4 with capability pack and after-market tyres starts $25K further up the price list.
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