A ten kilometer journey through northern Switzerland pushed the Discovery Sport to its limits. The official maximum towing capacity of the Discovery Sport is 2,500 kg, but the SUV also has no problems with its weight reaching 58 times that. Discovery Sport is powered by a 132 kW (180 hp) Ingenium diesel engine with 430 Nm of torque. The Discovery Sport benefits from Land Rover’s built-in towing and traction technologies, including Terrain Response, Tow Assist, Tow Hitch Assist and All Terrain Progress Control: a semi-autonomous off-road driver assistance system that automatically regulates engine and brake power.

Land Rover has a reputation for track car conversions. Land Rover Series II, IIA and Defender have more than once been equipped with wheels that allow them to be driven on track for maintenance work. In 1989, Land Rover also carried out similar towing tests at Plymouth (UK) during the introduction of the first Discovery, to demonstrate the capabilities of the new 200Tdi diesel engine. The new train towing stunt in Switzerland was the idea of ​​Land Rover engineers to demonstrate the power of the Discovery Sport.

Karl Richard, Lead Engineer, Stability Control Systems, Jaguar Land Rover, said: “Towing power is in Land Rover’s DNA. The Discovery Sport is no exception. In recent years we have developed innovative towing technology to help our customers tow all types of trailers. “I’ve spent a lot of time in my career in the farthest corners of the world testing Land Rovers in the toughest conditions. But this is the most extreme towing test we’ve ever done.”

The Discovery Sport’s powertrain is completely standard. The only modification was the installation of custom track wheels, by the specialists at Aquarius Railroad Technologies, for extra stability. James Platt, managing director of Aquarius Railroad Technologies, said: “For a vehicle of this size to be able to tow more than 100 tonnes is a testament to engineering ingenuity. No drivetrain adjustments were required to make this possible. In testing, the Discovery Sport delivered even greater pulling power than the Defender at our track. That’s amazing.”

During this towing test, the Discovery Sport had no low range. The Discovery Sport’s modern nine-speed automatic transmission and Terrain Response technology provide the necessary traction. ATPC works like low-speed cruise control, allowing the driver to fully concentrate on the road, in this case the railroad tracks.

The drag act takes place ten kilometers from the museum track in Stein am Rhein, Switzerland, with the literal highlight being the spectacular Hemishofen Bridge over the Rhine: a historic steel bridge 285 meters long and 26 meters high.

Land Rover sells the Discovery Sport in more than 170 markets and builds the model at Jaguar Land Rover’s award-winning factory in Halewood, England. The Land Rover Discovery Sport is available from €44,200.