2018 Land Rover Discovery Sport

The Discovery Sport is based on the same platform as the Range Rover Evoque but adds a useful nine inches of overall length. The new turbocharged 2.0-liter inline-four engine (which replaces the previous turbocharged 2.0-liter inline-four engine) is available in two states of tune: the standard version makes 237 horsepower and 251 pound-feet of torque, while an available uprated variant spins out 286 hp and 295 lb-ft. The transmission is a nine-speed automatic, and, in proper Land Rover fashion, drive goes to all four wheels. If the ample cargo space – 34.6 cubic feet with the second row upright, 62.75 with it folded – is occasionally inadequate, the Discovery Sport can also tow up to 4,409 pounds of trailer and payload.

Buyers can choose from three trim levels (Land Rover calls them "themes") for the Discovery Sport. The base SE includes partial leather seat covers, rear parking sensors, and power folding side mirrors. The HSE adds xenon headlights as standard, fits full leather seat upholstery, and trades the metal roof panel for a panoramic glass roof. The HSE Luxury sits on 19-inch wheels; inside, navigation and a Meridien sound system with a SiriusXM receiver occupy the center console and a softer grade of leather dresses the seats.

The upgraded fittings may be tempting, especially for a proper and somewhat upscale British motoring vehicle, but, thankfully, the essential highlights – the Terrain Response all-wheel-drive system, the trailer-towing gear, the InControl telematics system – are standard across the board. Our value case for the Discovery Sport starts with the SE and fills in a few preferred items:

• Model: 2018 Land Rover Discovery Sport SE
• Engine: 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder
• Output: 237 hp / 251 lb-ft
• Transmission: Nine-speed automatic
• Drivetrain: All-wheel drive
• Fuel Economy: 21 City / 25 Hwy
• Options: Cold Climate Package ($1,330, heated front and rear seats, heated steering wheel, heated windscreen), Blind Spot Monitor and Reverse Traffic Detection ($510).
• Base Price: $38,790 (including a $995 destination charge)
• Best Value Price: $40,630

The Discovery Sport makes for a quite pleasant daily driver. Around-town performance is comfortable and capable, if not stimulating, and highway travel is secure and quiet. Fuel economy won't impress hybrid drivers, but isn't bad for a rather heavy all-wheel-drive vehicle. The 286-hp powerplant (available on the HSE and HSE Luxury) adds an impressive amount of thrust but also adds a more-than-considerable $6,000 to the sticker price.

Our opinions of the Discovery Sport's capabilities grow even more positive when the pavement ends. The Discovery Sport is the rare everyday SUV with meaningful off-road capabilities with more than eight inches of ground clearance, the ability to wade almost two feet of water, and a multimode all-wheel-drive system that manages difficult terrain with the skill of an experienced guide.

The mild downsides of Discovery Sport driving tend more toward understandable trade-offs than meaningful issues. The solid construction and all-wheel-drive components contribute to a curb weight of 3,960 pounds; no one will ever describe a Discovery Sport as quick or agile. Steering feel is also well on the vague side – great for absorbing lumps on dirt roads, not so much when trying to get a sense of the surface on a wet two-lane road.

The Discovery Sport may feature traditional Land Rover ruggedness and capability underneath, but those time-honored traits are dressed in a contemporary body design. The Discovery Sport's shape, like that of its very similar larger Discovery sibling, leaps past older blocky Land Rover forms and lands square in the middle of modern trends. At the same time, it may be slightly too easy to lose that trendy shape in a parking lot full of similar crossovers.

That break from the past extends to the Discovery Sport's cabin, where its modern (if very rectilinear) styling and high materials quality also echo its Discovery and Range Rover relatives. The seats are comfortable and controls are clear and well-arranged, but even within the luxury there remains a pleasant sense of utilitarian directness and solidity. That utilitarian feel may extend a bit too far with the near-useless optional third row of seats, which – provided a passenger can even find a way to fit correctly – are notably uncomfortable.

The Discovery Sport politely dispels prejudices about compact SUVs being suburban buggies that can't hack it off road. It may be sleek, modern, and comfortable, but find a decent trail and it cheerfully lives up to the reputation of its near-unstoppable Land Rover ancestors.

Veterans of Royal Army armored troop carriers will feel right at home in the cramped and thinly-padded optional third-row rear seats. For others, especially passengers larger than an average third grader, the third row verges on the inhospitable despite the added air conditioning vents and USB port.

Do you want a stylish upscale family-hauler with some legitimate off-road substance under the skin? Do your vacations involve the kind of overland travel or trailer towing that really justifies an SUV's rugged foundation? Do you have an instinctive urge to stop – even in the midst of that overland travel – for a cup of tea in the afternoon? The Discovery Sport may be outfitted for the modern world, but it still lives for the countryside at its core.

Do you want an SUV that legitimately seats seven? The five-plus-two seating option sounds appealing at first, but those two added seats work far better in the brochure than in real life. Do you prioritize on-road handling and fuel economy over off-road capabilities? The Discovery Sport works well in daily use, but if your intention in buying a crossover is more alternative sedan than civilized truck, products from more mainstream nameplates may be more to your liking in the long run.

The Discovery Sport pairs an attractive design and modern conveniences with the kind of rough-and-ready capabilities that made SUVs so appealing to so many buyers in the first place. If you prefer a crossover that lives up to its image instead of being a tough-looking tall car, the 2018 Land Rover Discovery Sport deserves serious consideration.