News Source: topspeed.com

It took months of rumors, spy shots, speculation and leaks, but the newest member of the Land Rover family is finally official and we have all the details. Say hello to the Land Rover Discovery  Sport.
Much like the Range Rover Sport  , the new Discovery Sport is a smaller and faster version of a car that wears a similar name. It has an all-new design that is very similar to the Discovery Vision Concept  that bowed earlier this year. The new model is loaded to the gills with new technology, and it features some of the nicest design touches ever fitted to a Discovery.

To make the most of this new, stylish shell, the engine and modern nine-speed ZF automatic transmission from the Range Rover Evoque  are combined with an advanced AWD system to create a dynamic and capable machine.

If you want to know all the exact details like horsepower, ride height and available extras just click through to read our full coverage. We even have a whole collection of nice high-res photos to go with it. Enjoy.

The round, sleek and rather handsome looking Discovery Vision Concept previewed the majority of the new Discovery Sport’s exterior styling. The overall size feels compact and taut compared to the large and unwieldy Discovery, and it looks much like a larger sibling to the Evoque. This styling comparison is not by mistake either, as Land Rover is using the most attractive model in its lineup to inject some fresh styling into the rest of the brand.

The front is a little softer and more curved than what would be traditional for the brand, but it adds a modern feel and a sense of speed and performance. The new mesh grille is flanked by HID headlamps with interesting LED running lamps that are setup in a circle with distinctive points in them. Land Rover says the design is meant to create the feeling of a compass with the breaks in the LEDs representing the four cardinal directions. The rear lights are a similarly slim, wraparound design that helps tie into the overall look of the machine.

Aside from looking great, Land Rover is claiming that the new shape is more aerodynamic and thanks to changes like the altered wheel design, wind noise should be drastically reduced in the cabin. You can get your new Disco Sport in one of nine colors that include: Fuji White, Santorini Black, Corris Grey, Indus Silver, Loire Blue, Scotia Grey, Kaikoura Stone, Firenze Red, and a limited edition color, Yulong White. There will also be five different alloy wheel design options.

The outside looks great, but most of the magic of the new Discovery Sport happens on the inside. Thanks to what can only be described as engineering witchcraft, the Discovery Sport has a compact exterior footprint that is similar to most five-seat competitor, but Land Rover has been able to cram an extra set of seats in the back to create a three-row 5+2 seating arrangement. If you are familiar with the 2+2 nomenclature from some sport coupes you will understand that those back seats are really only for children, but it is still amazing that Land Rover was able to fit them in at all.

Like all things that wear the Land Rover badge, the cabin is as luxurious as they come. Options like twin-needle-stitched leather, genuine metal interior trim, configurable mood lighting and multi-zone climate control all add to make the cabin refined and comfortable.

For enhanced space and comfort, the second-row seats slide and recline for perfect seating position, there are multiple cup holders and storage bins for every seating position and the rear seat air vents have been moved to the pillars to more effectively provide adequate airflow.

Powering the Discovery Sport will be the same turbocharged, 2.0-liter, four-cylinder engine that is under the hood of the Evoque. That means there will be 240 horsepower and 250 pound-feet of twist on tap. This engine will be bolted to the ZF nine-speed automatic transmission, complete with that trick rotating shift knob that rises from the dash. The transmission is setup so that during most situations the car will actually take off in second gear to improve fuel economy, and then there is a very low first gear for slow-speed off-road situations.

Since this is a Land Rover, it needs to be capable of tackling the roughest of terrains. A standard Haldex All-Wheel-Drive system helps to keep the new Discovery Sport moving and pointing the right direction even when traction and terrain are less than ideal. The Disco Sport has more than eight-inches of ground clearance, a 25-inch approach angle and can climb slopes as steep as 45-degrees. Like other models in the Land Rover family, the air intake has been mounted high on top of the engine and the doors have robust weather seals to make shallow water crossings an easy affair. The trademark Terrain Response system and Hill Descent Control function are also included as standard.