Unveiled at the Frankfurt Motor Show in September last year, the Land Rover Discovery Sport HSE Luxury is pretty much one of the most capable SUVs on the planet. Of course it is handsome and well-proportioned and comes with luxuriously appointed interiors, but that’s something you also get from a lot of competing vehicles from other high-end European car makers. What you don’t get elsewhere, however, is the Discovery Sport’s sheer off-road capability, which can pull you through almost any kind of terrain than you can imagine, and then some.
Land Rover recently hosted a driving experience in Gurgaon and we have to admit, driving the Discovery Sport HSE across some of harshest, most demanding terrain ever was quite an eye-opener. This was definitely hostile terrain – near-vertical climbs, massive craters and potholes almost large enough to swallow an entire 18-inch wheel, and drops steep enough to induce Acrophobia. And yet, the Discovery Sport HSE was able to shrug-off all the abuse heaped upon it and danced across the off-road route without ever threatening to get stuck.
The Sport HSE’s off-road capability didn’t happen by chance – every last bit of it has been meticulously engineered into the vehicle, and every part – from the bodywork construction, chassis and suspension, to the engine and the 4WD drive train has been optimised accordingly. Weight saving was an important concern for Land Rover, which is why the Discovery Sport gets steel body construction, but with lightweight aluminium used for the bonnet, roof and tailgate panels, and various suspension components.
As you would expect, the Discover Sport’s suspension has also been fully optimised for all-terrain capability and extreme off-road use. The use of aluminium reduces unsprung weight, without compromising on stiffness. The front suspension struts have hydraulic rebound stops, which help to manage the loads caused by severe impacts (a common occurrence during extreme off-roading), while the fully independent multi-link rear suspension delivers dynamic response, agile handling and great ride comfort over harsh, broken terrain. Plus, the compact set-up helps with the packaging, providing increased interior space (5+2 seating is available as an option) without compromising on wheel travel and articulation capability.
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