Land Rover Discovery Sport boot space, practicality and safety

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• Spacious interior for front five occupants
  
• Rearmost two seats tight for adults
• Large boot and lots of interior storage

How much space is there?

One of the key strengths of any SUV, Land Rover Discovery Sport practicality is particularly impressive. The second row of seats slide and tilt for extra passenger comfort, plus the centre armrest folds down to create a load-through hatch.

>> We rate the best seven-seater SUVs for 2020

Occasional adult passengers or young children can be accommodated in the third row seats that also fold flat when not in use. These are optional on all models bar the P300e PHEV, though, and we’re not sure we’d bother unless you really need them – they’re really only big enough for very occasional use, and those who need a genuine seven-seater would be better served by a larger SUV.

Boot space and storage

Boot space is a very impressive 829 litres, though Land Rover measure up to the roof, rather than the load cover, unlike most manufacturers. This grows to 981 litres when the second row seats slide fully forward.

There are four 12-volt power points and up to six USB charging points can be specified to keep tablet and smartphone owners happy. Passengers up front secure two cupholders, a sunglasses holder, and a cubby hole under a sliding cover, while the front and rear door bins offer storage space of nearly 14 litres each.

Is it easy to park?

All-round visibility on the Discovery Sport is quite good thanks to the large windows , but all models come with front and rear parking sensors, as well as a rear-view camera to help with parking.

How big is it?

Safety

• Five-star Euro NCAP safety rating
• Plenty of kit as standard
• Should prove a safe family car

The Land Rover Discovery Sport scored a full five-star Euro NCAP safety rating when the pre-facelift model was tested. There’s nothing to suggest the latest car would fare any worse, and it still has an impressive roster of safety kit – with standard autonomous emergency braking, lane-departure warning and even a bonnet airbag to help cushion pedestrians should the worst happen.

LED headlights are standard on all models as well as three isofix points, with one on the front passenger seat and two on the second row seats.

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Land Rover’s filled top-spec cars with technology, too. Highlights include the ground-view camera which essentially makes the bonnet ‘invisible’, ideal for off-roading but even more ideal for avoiding kerbing your wheels in tight cities. It’s also fitted the ClearSight rear-view mirror, which displays a camera feed of what’s behind you in the interior mirror. This can be tricky for your eyes to get used to, but after a few hours it works brilliantly, providing a really wide field of vision that’s unsullied by rear passengers, headrests or luggage. This is standard on Urban Edition and optional on all other models.

Higher-spec models also come with Clear Exit Monitor, illuminating a warning light on the rear passenger door to prevent you opening them on any approaching hazards.

Options include a head-up display, while Advanced Tow Assist reduces the strain from low-speed manoeuvres. It’s also worth noting the Discovery Sport’s maximum towing capacity is 2,500kg.