Small Land Rover models gain Ingenium power

LAND Rover has updated the powertrains for its two smallest models – the Discovery Sport and Range Rover Evoque – by consolidating the range to consist exclusively of the new aluminium Ingenium petrol and diesel engines.

Two new turbo-petrol four-cylinder units have been introduced ahead of an Australian arrival in the fourth quarter, with the 2.0-litre engine available in two states of tune – 177kW/340Nm and a more powerful 213kW/400Nm version for higher-end variants.

The 177kW version replaces a Ford-sourced engine with identical displacement and output from the Si4 variant, but fuel efficiency is reported to be 15 per cent better in the Ingenium engine.

The more powerful 213kW tune is a new addition to the range, and replaces traditional journal bearings in favour of turbo ball bearing cartridges which helps improve the turbocharger and promote greater efficiency, according to Land Rover.

As for the diesel engines, the two existing Ingenium units have been bolstered by a third to sit at the top of the range – a 2.0-litre twin-turbo unit borrowed from the new Discovery that puts out a healthy 177kW of power and 500Nm of torque available from 1500rpm.

The other two diesels – added to the Evoque and Discovery Sport ranges in 2015 and 2016 respectively – are both single-turbo 2.0-litre engines that produce 110kW/380Nm and 132kW/430Nm, bringing the total number of powertrain variants to five.

Under the bonnet of the Evoque, the oil-burners are the cleaner options, with the two single-turbo variants emitting 134 grams of CO2 per km, while the twin-turbo is slightly less efficient at 153g/km.

The 177kW petrol unit emits 165g/km, while the 213kW unit is the least environmentally friendly with 173g/km.

The equivalent engines emit more CO2 when powering the Discovery Sport, with the diesel units emitting 139 and 169g/km, and the petrol engines producing 181 and 186g/km.

Owners of the 213kW petrol Discovery Sport will benefit from additional exterior flourishes, with the inclusion of the Dynamic exterior package as standard.

Colour palettes have been revised, with 11 choices for the Evoque including Phoenix Orange which was exclusive to the Convertible variant, while the Discovery Sport has expanded to 12 options.

Entry-level pricing has changed slightly, with the Discovery Sport SE TD4 150 now starting from $56,595, up $240. The Evoque range kicks off from $58,690 for the Pure TD4 150, which is down $610 from its current equivalent.

Pricing for the full range is expected to be confirmed by the end of the month.

Through the first five months of 2017, Land Rover has sold 1997 examples of the Discovery Sport, representing a 9.0 per cent increase over the same period last year.

The Evoque has also experienced growth of 31.7 per cent over 2016 with 1407 sales to the end of May.