The Land Rover Discovery Sport arrived in 2015, replacing the LR2 as the brand’s entry-level model, and in 2018, it continues with modest updates. The Discovery Sport, along with the larger Discovery, continues to exist on the side of Land Rover’s lineup that’s more practical than fashionable. In fact, it is closely related to Land Rover’s stylish Range Rover Evoque. Its most impressive attribute is probably the highly-configurable interior. The Discovery Sport has a 40/20/40 split-folding second-row bench seat and an optional folding third row that expands the number of seats to seven. There’s as much as 60 cubic feet of cargo space with the second and third rows stowed, 34.6 cubic feet with the third row stowed, and 6.8 cubic feet with all three rows deployed.

The Discovery Sport gets a new in-house engine under its “Ingenium” architecture for 2018. The base unit is a turbocharged 2.0-liter inline 4-cylinder with 237 horsepower and 251 pound-feet of torque with a 9-speed automatic transmission. Fuel economy is 21 miles per gallon city, 25 highway, and 22 combined on premium fuel. Optionally, this same engine comes in a 286-horsepower, 295 lb-ft version with 20, 25, and 22 mpg. Like every other Land Rover, all-wheel drive and an automatic terrain-sensing system come standard.

There are three basic flavors of the Discovery Sport. SE is the most basic with 18-inch wheels, partial leather upholstery, dual-zone climate control, power-folding heated exterior mirrors, an 8-inch touchscreen infotainment system, and a 10-speaker audio system. From there, the HSE and HSE Luxury add features like fog lights, perforated leather upholstery, a fixed panoramic sunroof, navigation, HID headlights, and a power-operated liftgate. The 238-hp engine is standard across all three trims, but HSE and HSE Luxury offer the 286-hp upgrade.

For safety, the Discovery Sport has a full complement of features. A reversing camera and rear parking sensors are standard fare. A surround-view camera system, a head-up display, a parking assistant, traffic sign recognition, adaptive headlights, automatic high-beams, emergency braking, and lane keeping assist are parts of optional packages. Blind-spot monitoring with rear cross-traffic detection and adaptive cruise control are standalone safety upgrades.

The Land Rover Discovery Sport is an attractive option for the active driver who wants an SUV to do more than just look handsome and carry a tall ride height. The capable AWD system, versatile interior, and overall durability set it apart from the competition. And the new engines, especially the 286-hp one, make it that much better.