Should you buy one?

If you occasionally need seven seats with off-road ability, but don’t need a full-sized luxury SUV, the Land Rover Discovery Sport does a fairly convincing job of filling this niche. However, it’s far from a perfect car and potential owners should think hard before opting for this over cheaper and more practical models such as the Skoda Kodiaq and Kia Sorento.

Diesel undoubtedly still makes the most sense in a Discovery Sport. The D200 is punchy, refined and acceptably efficient, not to mention available with seven seats. The plug-in is smooth and punchy with both power sources combined, but the all electric range and flat battery economy are off the pace. Similarly, there are cheaper cars when it comes to company car tax.

What we like

There’s plenty that the Discovery Sport does well. From its tidy on-road manners to its unrivalled (in this class) prowess off it. It also works really well as a comfortable long-distance cruiser.

What we don’t like

The car’s unenviable reliability record is a worry, and the cabin isn’t as user-friendly as it was. It also feels a bit off the pace, especially as a plug-in hybrid.