SUV couture – there’s not a lot of it around. The Hyundai Santa Fe and Porsche Macan have something but otherwise it’s a pretty barren field for parents wanting to make an impact at the school gates.

You only have to look at the Bentley Bentayga to realise that even with a stack of cash, designers have a major head-cluck when it comes to creating something pretty that stands high off the ground.

The Discovery Sport has all the visual appeal of a surgical stocking but it’s arguably still just about the best mid-range SUV out there. Audi Q5, BMW X3 and Mazda CX-5 may care to differ. The Volvo XC90 is probably the best.

Ultimately, it may come down to the badge on the bonnet. The Discovery isn’t just an SUV made by a ‘car’ company. It’s also a Land Rover, with the all the ability, heritage and kudos that goes with it.

That could be enough to sway many people…

If you haven’t seen images of the new Land Rover Defender yet, it’s well worth a Google. The replacement for the farmer’s favourite won’t be around until 2018, which makes the Discovery Sport even more important for Land Rover at present.

With the Freelander gone, there’s currently nothing to plug the gap at entry level – meaning the Sport is your first step on the ladder to Land Rover ownership.

Not that many farmers will be looking at a Sport. It’s far too street SUV for hacking across a field.One thing’s for sure though, the Sport is hugely economical by comparison.

I’m getting around 43mpg in everyday use without even trying. There are more frugal SUVs on the market and with lower emissions but for a land Rover, this is ridiculously thrifty to run…

I can’t say I’m in love with the conservative styling of the Discovery Sport but I do love the way it rides. It’s a little firm but the Land Rover becomes supremely comfortable at higher speeds.

It’s especially good a bounding along a country A-road – tackling the occasional pothole and rut with consummate ease, just as you would expect of a Land Rover.

The Sport is more rugged than the refined Range Rover Evoque but there are obvious parallels to be drawn between the two. The Disco is less of a sporty saloon and more of a heavyweight cruiser.

And if you do have an occasion to put it down an off-road track, the Discovery will be an easy-to-use and rewarding companion. It’s not quite a Range Rover but will perform just as well in the rough stuff…

I’ve been driving cars for over 30 years now. I think I’m quite good at it. There are some that feel right and others which trip me up when I slip behind the wheel and start pressing buttons for the first time.

The Discovery Sport is intuitive in most respects – just like an emission-friendly Golf or a Porsche Boxster. The Land Rover flatters drivers and makes you feel good about yourself.

It’s all very clever except for one thing… The stop-start system has a nasty habit of encouraging the engine to stall at junctions. Once could be a mistake on my part but four times in as many days is an issue.

To boot up the engine, you have to knock it out of gear and do a total re-start. Of course, I’m driving the entry level manual, it couldn’t happen with the auto. There’s no quick fix and I’ve had a couple of embarrassing moments holding up a queue of traffic behind me.

My advice is buy the auto…

Land Rover would tell you that the new Discovery Sport is much more than just a tweaked Freelander. It’s part of the Discovery family ‘leisure’ brand – that’s for families who need space and like to get their wheels muddy once in a blue moon.

Range Rover (that’s Evoque, Sport and full-fat model) is for people who seek luxury. Which leaves the forthcoming new Defender to mop up the rest and be more of an all-rounder than the original, hardcore version. What a shame!

Anyway, I’m pleased to report that the Disco Sport is good. It’s very good in fact and will tick just about every box you want it to. That includes Space – tick, Practicality – tick, Badge image – tick, and Comfort – tick.

As Car Couture likes to consider styling a priority too, I can’t claim to be blown away by the Sport. It looks as bland as the rest of the SUV offerings on the market and there’s precious little premium ‘feel’ about the cabin.

Tons of kit yes but there’s nothing BMW/Audi about the quality…

Hyundai Santa Fe, Volvo XC60, Audi Q5 – premium brand SUVs that family drivers everywhere secretly coo over in the supermarket car park.

The old Land Rover Freelander was part of the same pack but never quite got over the dull image of the first generation model. Shame really, because the final Freelander II was a bloody good motor.

Land Rover is unashamedly targeting this huge corner of the market with the Sport – and judging by first impressions, it’s going to do very well indeed.

On the driveway today is the e-Capability – the brand new eco version.

I’m worried because the figures suggest it’s sluggish, 0-60mph in 11 seconds. The full-fat Discovery Sport with 178bhp has very decent mpg already and is quite sprightly by comparison.

Do we need a lighter more frugal version? Join us for a week to find out….