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The updated 2020 Land Rover Discovery Sport has been revealed ahead of a local launch later in the year.

 

Land Rover’s Australian division is yet to confirm full specification and pricing information, however, the range will open with the S trim level priced from $60,500 plus on-road costs.

 

The local line-up has been simplified with the brand now offering S, SE and HSE grades, the HSE Luxury spec has been discontinued. Every model will be available with an R-Dynamic package for a sportier theme.

 

Both petrol and diesel engine options will be available at launch. The petrol range consists of the 147kW P200 and 184kW P250 engines, while the 132kW D180 and 177kW D240 oilers are on the menu for diesel buyers.

 

Land Rover has made alterations to the Premium Transverse Architecture (PTA) that underpins the Discovery Sport, the brand claims it’s now 13 per cent stiffer with rigidly-mounted subframes that reduce noise and vibration intrusion into the cabin.

 

The changes to the platform also allow for electrification with the Discovery Sport getting the new 48-volt mild hybrid electric system from the new Range Rover Evoque. The system uses an engine-mounted belt-integrated starter generator to harvest energy normally lost during deceleration and stores it in an under-floor battery.

 

At speeds below 17km/h, the engine will shut off when the driver applies the brakes, before redeploying the stored energy to assist the engine under acceleration to reduce consumption.

 

The 48-volt mild hybrid technology will be rolled out across turbo-diesel models, with a plug-in hybrid (PHEV) version to join the range in 2020.

 

Exterior changes are limited to new LED headlights, redesigned bumpers and a refreshed front grille.

 

Land Rover says the interior now features "more premium materials", the Touch Pro infotainment system and new seats across each of the three rows. The second-row can fold 40:20:40 and gets more adjustment to increase room for passengers in the third-row. In total, there are now 24 possible seating combinations.

 

New features across the range include the smart rear-view mirror that displays a HD image of what is behind the vehicle, Ground View technology that offers a virtual 180-degree view beneath the car, wireless smartphone charging, a 4G WiFi hotspot along with USB and 12-volt connectivity points in every row.

 

There’s also more storage options across all three rows and a 20 per cent larger fuel tank which now holds 65-litres.

 

Safety equipment includes autonomous emergency braking, lane keep assist, front and rear parking sensors, driver condition monitor and a rear-view camera.

 

Full specifications and pricing are expected to be released in the coming weeks. Stay tuned.