• Simple layout with few buttons
• Pivi Pro infotainment is super responsive
• Climate control panel takes getting used to

How is the quality and layout?

Every surface the driver touches regularly feels well-built and pleasant. Drift just outside these areas though and there are some suspect plastics – the surroundings of the gear selector, for example, feel particularly hollow and plasticky.

The same criticism can be levelled at the climate control panel. When the car’s turned off, it could pass for a second infotainment screen, but it’s actually an array of touch-sensitive buttons applied onto a shiny, piano-black surface.

It certainly looks neat, but because the controls double-up to function for both the climate control and drive mode systems, it might take a while to learn where they all are, especially if you frequently switch between them.

We’re also not the biggest fans of touch-sensitive buttons as they tend to give the worst of both worlds – they don’t provide the feedback of a regular switch or the configurability of a touchscreen. Worse still, the shiny surface in the Discovery Sport collects fingerprints like billy-o, bringing the whole car’s ambiance down with it.

Infotainment and tech

The Discovery Sport’s interior is typically Land Rover, with strong horizontal lines drawing the eye towards an infotainment system in the centre console.

It features the company’s latest Pivi Pro software system. It’s slick and easy to use, though its extremely widescreen aspect ratio feels a little restrictive in relation to a portrait screen when using the car’s sat-nav – it’s not as easy to see upcoming instructions, which would be useful as the sat-nav can still voice slightly confusing commands.

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Smartphones (both Android and Apple) can also be connected via USB to access Land Rover’s In Control apps, and it is compatible with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto wirelessly.

High-spec models also come with a digital instrument screen for the driver, while lower-spec models come with a hybrid mix of traditional dials and a smaller digital screen in the middle.

The dials are large, clear and easy to read, but the screen used on the latter could be clearer in terms of contrast, especially since the darker background areas show up as a grey colour, rather than black.

Comfort

• Spacious front seats with lots of adjustment
• Rear seat passengers get their own climate controls
• Diesel engine can be a bit gruff

The car’s comfortable ride is aided by wide, soft seats with lots of adjustment. Front seat passengers benefit from the usual lumbar support, but even back seat passengers can adjust the angle of their backrest for a little more of a reclining position. You can now also option separate heater controls for the middle row air vents in between the front seats.

Refinement is also a Discovery Sport plus point. There’s little wind noise around the front windscreen, with only a bit of road noise from the wider tyres.

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The petrol engines are quiet all of the time, with very little vibration transmitted into the cabin. While the diesels can’t quite match it, they’re a small compromise in engine refinement and settle down nicely at a cruise.

The P300e offers the quietest drive thanks to its ability to zip silently along on the electric motor, but even when the petrol engine kicks in, it remains quiet most of the time with few vibrations sent into the cabin. You’ll hear a faint whine filtering through at low speeds from either the EV motor or the turbocharger, but it’s otherwise a serene vehicle to drive around in.