Compare the2023 Volvo XC60VS 2022 Land Rover Discovery Sport

Safety
Warranty
Reliability
Engine
Fuel Economy and Range
Brakes and Stopping
Tires and Wheels
Suspension and Handling
Chassis
Passenger Space
Cargo Capacity
Ergonomics
Model Availability
Recommendations

Safety

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For enhanced safety, the front and rear seat shoulder belts of the Volvo XC60 have pretensioners to tighten the seatbelts and eliminate dangerous slack in the event of a collision and force limiters to limit the pressure the belts will exert on the passengers. The Land Rover Discovery Sport doesn’t offer pretensioners for its second-row seat belts.

The XC60’s pre-crash front seatbelts will tighten automatically in the event the vehicle detects an impending crash, improving protection against injury significantly. The Discovery Sport doesn’t offer pre-crash pretensioners.

For enhanced safety, the front seat shoulder belts of the Volvo XC60 are height-adjustable to accommodate a wide variety of driver and passenger heights. A better fit can prevent injuries and the increased comfort also encourages passengers to buckle up. The Land Rover Discovery Sport doesn’t offer height-adjustable seat belts.

The Volvo XC60 offers optional built in child booster seats. They’re more crash worthy than an added child seat because of their direct attachment to the seat. Land Rover doesn’t offer the convenience and security of a built-in child booster seat in the Discovery Sport. Their owners must carry a heavy booster seat in and out of the vehicle; XC60 owners can just fold their built-in child seat up or down.

Using vehicle speed sensors and seat sensors, smart airbags in the XC60 deploy with different levels of force or don’t deploy at all to help better protect passengers of all sizes in different collisions. The XC60’s side airbags will shut off if a child is leaning against the door. The Discovery Sport’s side airbags don’t have smart features and will always deploy full force.

The XC60 has a standard Whiplash Protection System (WHIPS), which use a specially designed seat to protect the driver and front passenger from whiplash. During a rear-end collision, the WHIPS allows the backrest to travel backwards to cushion the occupants and the headrests move forward to prevent neck and spine injuries. At the same time the pretensioning seatbelts fire, removing slack from the belts. The Discovery Sport doesn’t offer a whiplash protection system.

The XC60 has standard Post-impact braking, which automatically apply the brakes in the event of a crash to help prevent secondary collisions and prevent further injuries. The Discovery Sport doesn’t offer a post collision braking system: in the event of a collision that triggers the airbags, more collisions are possible without the protection of airbags that may have already deployed.

Over 200 people are killed each year when backed over by motor vehicles. The XC60 has standard CTA Auto Brake that uses rear sensors to monitor and automatically apply the brakes to prevent a rear collision. The Discovery Sport doesn’t offer backup collision prevention brakes.

The XC60 has a standard blind spot warning system which uses sensors to alert the driver to objects in the vehicle’s blind spots where the side view mirrors don’t reveal them and moves the vehicle back into its lane. A system to reveal vehicles in the Discovery Sport’s blind spot costs extra.

To help make backing out of a parking space safer, the XC60 has a standard rear cross-path warning system, which uses sensors in the rear bumper to alert the driver to vehicles approaching from the side, helping the driver avoid collisions. Rear cross-path warning costs extra on the Discovery Sport.

Both the XC60 and the Discovery Sport have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, driver knee airbags, side-impact head airbags, plastic fuel tanks, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, crash mitigating brakes, daytime running lights, lane departure warning systems, rearview cameras, driver alert monitors, available all wheel drive and around view monitors.

For its top level performance in IIHS driver and passenger-side small overlap frontal, moderate overlap frontal, side impact, roof strength and head restraint tests, its standard vehicle-to-vehicle front crash prevention system, its standard vehicle-to-pedestrian front crash prevention system, and its standard headlight’s “Acceptable” rating, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety grants the XC60 its highest rating: “Top Safety Pick Plus” for 2022, a rating granted to only 101 vehicles tested by the IIHS. The Discovery Sport has not been tested, yet.

Warranty

The XC60’s corrosion warranty is 6 years longer than the Discovery Sport’s (12 vs. 6 years).

Volvo pays for scheduled maintenance on the XC60 for 3 years and 36,000 miles. Volvo will pay for oil changes, lubrication and any other required maintenance. Land Rover only pays for the first scheduled maintenance visit on the Discovery Sport.

There are over 41 percent more Volvo dealers than there are Land Rover dealers, which makes it easier should you ever need service under the XC60’s warranty.

Reliability

The battery on the XC60 is in the trunk, which protects it from hot underhood temperatures that can degrade battery life. By keeping the XC60’s battery 20 to 30 degrees cooler, its life is increased by years. The Discovery Sport’s battery is in the hot engine compartment.

A reliable vehicle saves its owner time, money and trouble. Nobody wants to be stranded or have to be without a vehicle while it’s being repaired. Consumer Reports rates the XC60’s reliability 36 points higher than the Discovery Sport.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2022 survey of the owners of three-year-old vehicles provides the long-term dependability statistics that show that Volvo vehicles are more reliable than Land Rover With 28 fewer problems per 100 vehicles in the first three years of ownership, J.D. Power ranks Volvo higher than Land Rover.

Engine

The XC60 B6’s standard 2.0 turbo/supercharged 4-cylinder hybrid produces 49 more horsepower (295 vs. 246) and 41 lbs.-ft. more torque (310 vs. 269) than the Discovery Sport’s 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder. The XC60 T8’s standard 2.0 turbo/supercharged 4-cylinder hybrid produces 209 more horsepower (455 vs. 246) and 254 lbs.-ft. more torque (523 vs. 269) than the Discovery Sport’s 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder.

Fuel Economy and Range

On the EPA test cycle the XC60 running on electricity gets better mileage than the Discovery Sport:

			MPGe
XC60
	AWD	Extended Range Electric Motor	66 city/60 hwy
		T8 Electric Motor	59 city/55 hwy
Discovery Sport
			MPG
	AWD	2.0 turbo 4-cyl.	19 city/23 hwy

On the EPA test cycle the XC60 running its gasoline engine gets better mileage than the Discovery Sport:

			MPG
XC60
	FWD	2.0 turbo 4-cyl.	23 city/30 hwy
	AWD	Extended Range 2.0 turbo/supercharged 4-cyl. Hybrid	28 city/28 hwy
		2.0 turbo 4-cyl.	23 city/29 hwy
		2.0 turbo/supercharged 4-cyl.	21 city/27 hwy
		2.0 turbo/supercharged 4-cyl. Hybrid	24 city/27 hwy
Discovery Sport
	AWD	2.0 turbo 4-cyl.	19 city/23 hwy

The XC60 can travel with zero emissions for 19 to 36 miles (dependent on model). The Discovery Sport can’t move without running its internal combustion engine.

The XC60 has 1.1 gallons more fuel capacity than the Discovery Sport (18.8 vs. 17.7 gallons), for longer range between fill-ups.

The XC60 has a standard cap-less fueling system. The fuel filler is automatically opened when the fuel nozzle is inserted and automatically closed when it’s removed. This eliminates the need to unscrew and replace the cap and it reduces fuel evaporation, which causes pollution. The Discovery Sport doesn’t offer a cap-less fueling system.

Brakes and Stopping

For better stopping power the XC60 Recharge Polestar Engineered’s front brake rotors are larger than those on the Discovery Sport:

	XC60 Recharge Polestar Engineered	Discovery Sport
Front Rotors	15.7 inches	13.7 inches

The XC60’s standard front and rear disc brakes are vented to help dissipate heat for shorter stops with less fading. The rear discs on the Discovery Sport are solid, not vented.

Tires and Wheels

For better traction, the XC60’s optional tires are larger than the largest tires available on the Discovery Sport (265/35R22 vs. 245/45R20).

The XC60’s optional tires provide better handling because they have a lower 35 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the Discovery Sport’s optional 45 series tires.

Suspension and Handling

The XC60’s has front and rear gas-charged shocks for better control over choppy roads. The Discovery Sport’s suspension doesn’t offer rear gas-charged shocks.

The XC60 Ultimate has a standard automatic front and rear load leveling suspension to keep ride height level with a heavy load or when towing. The XC60’s height leveling suspension allows the driver to raise ride height for better off-road clearance and then lower it again for easier entering and exiting and better on-road handling. The Discovery Sport doesn’t offer a load leveling suspension.

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the XC60’s wheelbase is 4.9 inches longer than on the Discovery Sport (112.8 inches vs. 107.9 inches).

The XC60 B5 Core AWD handles at .87 G’s, while the Discovery Sport S pulls only .82 G’s of cornering force in a Motor Trend skidpad test.

The XC60 B5 Core AWD executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver quicker than the Discovery Sport S (26.6 seconds @ .64 average G’s vs. 27.4 seconds @ .64 average G’s).

For better maneuverability, the XC60’s turning circle is 1.4 feet tighter than the Discovery Sport’s (37.4 feet vs. 38.8 feet).

For greater off-road capability the XC60 has a greater minimum ground clearance than the Discovery Sport (8.5 vs. 8.3 inches), allowing the XC60 to travel over rougher terrain without being stopped or damaged.

Chassis

The XC60 is 6.6 inches narrower than the Discovery Sport, making the XC60 easier to handle and maneuver in traffic.

The design of the Volvo XC60 amounts to more than styling. The XC60 has an aerodynamic coefficient of drag of .32 Cd. That is lower than the Discovery Sport (.34) and many sports cars. A more efficient exterior helps keep the interior quieter and helps the XC60 get better fuel mileage.

Passenger Space

The XC60 has 2.4 inches more front legroom, .9 inches more front shoulder room and .4 inches more rear shoulder room than the Discovery Sport.

Cargo Capacity

The XC60 has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat up than the Discovery Sport with its rear seat up (24.4 vs. 5.5 cubic feet). The XC60 has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat folded than the Discovery Sport with its rear seat folded (63.3 vs. 55.6 cubic feet).

A standard locking glovebox (which can’t be accessed with the valet key) keeps your small valuables safer in the XC60. The Discovery Sport doesn’t offer locking storage for small valuables.

To make loading groceries and cargo easier when your hands are full, the XC60’s liftgate can be opened and closed just by kicking your foot under the back bumper, leaving your hands completely free. The Discovery Sport doesn’t offer a hands-free gesture to open its liftgate, forcing you to put cargo down if your hands are full.

Ergonomics

Unlike the driver-only memory seat and mirrors optional at extra cost in the Discovery Sport, the XC60 Ultimate/Polestar has a passenger memory, so that when drivers switch, the memory setting adjusts the driver’s seat and outside mirror angle and the front passenger seat also adjusts to the new passenger’s preset preferences.

Heated windshield washer nozzles are optional on the XC60 to prevent washer fluid and nozzles from freezing and help continue to keep the windshield clear in sub-freezing temperatures. The Discovery Sport doesn’t offer heated windshield washer nozzles.

To help drivers avoid possible obstacles, the XC60 has standard cornering lights to illuminate around corners when the turn signals are activated. The Discovery Sport doesn’t offer cornering lights. The XC60 also has standard adaptive headlights to illuminate around corners automatically by reading vehicle speed and steering wheel angle.

Standard air-conditioned seats in the XC60 Ultimate keep the driver and front passenger comfortable and take the sting out of hot seats in Summer. The Discovery Sport doesn’t offer air-conditioned seats.

Model Availability

The XC60 is available in both front-wheel drive and four-wheel drive configurations. The Discovery Sport doesn’t offer a two-wheel drive configuration.

Recommendations

The Volvo XC60 outsold the Land Rover Discovery Sport by almost six to one during the 2022 model year.