This is much more like it! The outgoing Land Rover Discovery Sport always felt a bit of an outsider based on its looks. The refreshed one bridges the gap and now, after a makeover, looks much more like a properly-finished Land Rover product. You can even mistake it for the Discovery, just like we usually do between the Range Rover Sport and the full-sized Range Rover.

The Land Rover Discovery Sport facelift features a bunch of cosmetic changes. On the outside, it gets reprofiled headlamps, a tweaked front and rear bumper and redesigned, square-shaped taillamps. Inside the cabin, the changes include a 40:20:40 split second-row seats, Luxtex upholstery which is carved out of recycled polyester microfibre and cupholders in the third row. The Brits have also thrown in wireless mobile charging as well as USB and 12-volt charging ports.

That’s not all. The multifunction steering wheel now sports capacitive-touch controls and the centre console has also been to the drawing board. Other tech enhancements include a smart rear-view camera with 50-degree view angle and ClearSight Ground View which offers a 180-degree view beneath the SUV to deal with uneven terrains. Also, on offer is Driver Assistance tech which ropes in autonomous emergency braking, adaptive cruise control, lane keep assist and driver condition monitor.

Then there’s the new powertrain option. The 2.0-litre Ingenium mill is coupled to a 48-volt, mild-hybrid system which, as we know, helps the internal combustion engine in certain circumstances. Land Rover claims a total power output of 296PS. The same engine, without any electrification, pumps out 50PS less. Needless to say, the mild-hybrid version will be a bit more frugal on the run.

Land Rover will launch the refreshed Discovery Sport in the USA in a couple of months, followed by other important markets in Europe. Obviously, we’ll get it too but that is likely to happen either by this year-end or early next year.