The 2020 Land Rover Discovery Sport comes with all wheel drive. Available transmissions include: 9-speed automatic.Revised exterior styling, a new base trim and an optional mild hybrid engine.Improved interior materials and additional tech features.
Pros Above-average off-road and all-weather capabilities Available third-row seating Plenty of passenger and cargo space Quiet and smooth ride
Cons Seats may be too big for smaller drivers The more powerful engine upgrade is only offered on the top trim
The 2020 Land Rover Discovery Sport is a super-competent seven-seater in a hotly contested luxury medium-SUV segment. It’s technically an update to the model that came out in 2015, one which this author actually bought and owned for some time.
Pros Seven seats, super versatile and practical, Range Rover-like interior, great packaging, much better looking than before
Cons Initial lag from drivetrain on take off, still needs some options ticked, no USB C
Land Rover promises luxurious treatment and off-road capability, and the 2020 Discovery Sport brings these qualities to the masses. The downsized Discovery is the most affordable model to wear the Land Rover badge, but it still boasts myriad features as well as a refreshed design for 2020. The updated styling helps align the Sport with bigger and ritzier Rovers such as the Discovery and the Range Rover Velar.Every Discovery Sport is powered by a turbocharged four-cylinder engine that makes between 246 and 286 horsepower depending on the model. However, the more powerful engine utilizes a 48-volt hybrid system that aims to improve fuel economy and aid acceleration.
Perhaps we need to stop calling these cars SUVs, because the new Mazda CX-30 is really just a Mazda 3 on stilts, and all the better for it.
Pros Excellent dynamics Interior fit and finish Audio and infotainment system Active safety features Exterior and interior design, practical, makes more sense than a Mazda 3
Cons Ride felt a tad firm (European spec) Expected price premium over the Mazda 3 Infotainment housing a little old school Fits four adults at best
Slotting into the Mazda SUV lineup in the narrow space between the subcompact CX-3 and the compact CX-5 is the new—and curiously named—CX-30. Why isn't it called CX-4? We asked Mazda: It's kind of a long story. Regardless, we like the way it looks. Mazda's designers gave it a more severely forward-canted rear window and chunkier black-plastic body cladding to help differentiate the 2020 Mazda CX-30 from its other crossover siblings.The 2020 CX-30 shares much of its mechanicals and platform with the all-new Mazda 3 sedan and hatchback, so we expect it to have a 186-hp 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine, a six-speed automatic transmission and either front- or all-wheel drive. It's possible that Mazda's new gasoline-powered compression-ignition engine—which the company calls Skyactiv-X—is likely to be available in the CX-30 at some point down the road.
Good car, the Mazda CX-30. Handles well, looks smart and has a lovely interior. But as is always the case with crossovers – the conventional car on which it’s based (in this case the Mazda3 hatchback) is the sensible buy.
Pros Good-looking, decent to drive, lovely interior.
Cons Cramped rear, old-fashioned auto.
