Land Rover Discovery3 Range

Land Rovers decision to design their Discovery3 as new from the ground up has paid dividends, thinks Andy Enright Reports

There was always something endearing about the old Land Rover Discovery. On virtually any objective calculation, it was way off the pace but the way it had triumphed over considerable adversity was almost Shackletonesque. The latest model wont need to rely on the British admiration for stiff upper lips to do well. The Discovery 3 has been designed as new from the ground up and boasts enough technology and design savvy to punt all of its rivals clean off the map.

The old Discovery had so many facelifts that there was a running industry joke that there were more Discovery variants around than Discoverys themselves. Although this may have engendered a certain exclusivity amongst buyers, it never did much for the Discoverys resale value, which was mediocre at best. Factor in the cars consistently poor showing in customer satisfaction surveys and it was apparent that a radical overhaul was required. With Ford money bankrolling the design process, this was a true no expense spared bid to build the best possible family 4x4.

Build
Comfort
Depreciation
Economy
Equipment
Handling
Insurance
Performance
Styling
Value

With the Range Rover commanding serious money, there was a huge swath of market for the Discovery to stretch into, charging premium prices (from £27,315) for a premium quality product. Unambiguously a Land Rover product, the Discovery looks like a Range Rover from the front and a Freelander on growth hormone from the side no bad combination. Design director Geoff Upex is proud of his teams work. "Everything you see has been done for a reason. The priority was to give the passengers and driver a superb cabin environment with more headroom and greater comfort. It has big, deep glazing because that provides greater airiness and a better view."

"This was a true no expense spared bid to build the best possible family 4x4"

Most importantly, it does a good job of refreshing the brands styling without diluting the look and feel. "An absolute priority was that nobody could mistake this vehicle for anythuing else." said Upex. "It had to look modern, bold and distinctive." The Discovery 3 certainly ticks those boxes. Assymetric styling is a key theme. The rear tailgate is styled in this way and theres an air intake on one side of the car but not on the other. With typical economy, Land Rover claim thats all that was needed.

An optional third row of seats is available with fold flat functionality in both the second and third rows giving the Discovery some serious load lugging abilities. The days of Land Rovers reliance on BMW for motive power are also at an end. Out goes the Td5 diesel engine and in comes the 2.7-litre V6 diesel that Jaguar developed in conjunction with Peugeot.

Its doubtful anybody in their right mind will rue that particular trade. This powerplant is constructed from compacted graphite iron (CGI) to ensure outstanding strength, durability and above all low weight. Because less material is needed to build a CGI engine block, the engine can also be shorter. The 4.

4-litre BMW-sourced petrol engine that only 10% of buyers previously opted for in this car is no longer offered, but there is a wide range of trim levels above the standard model (which only comes with five seats). The seven seat models start with the GS variant above which sit XS, SE and HSE models. All models of course feature full time four wheel drive and surprisingly sprightly on-road performance. Theres the option of a six-speed automatic gearbox with intelligent shift as an alternative to the more conventional six-speed manual transmission and wed recommend you pay the extra for it.

Fully independent suspension all round and an Integrated Body-frame structure is twinned with air suspension on most models. This is height adjustable to assist entry and exit and to boost ground clearance when off roading. Guaranteed to provoke curiosity is Land Rovers patented Terrain Response system. This is virtually akin to having an expert sitting alongside you, helping to get the best out of the vehicle, on or off road.

The driver chooses one of five terrain setttings via a rotary knob mounted on the centre console. Theres a general driving programme plus one for slippery conditions (dubbed grass/gravel/snow) and three specialist off road modes (mud/ruts, sand, rock crawl). The system will then automatically select the optimum setup for the electronic controls and the traction aids. This encompasses ride height, torque response, hill descent control, electronic traction control and transmission settings.

This sort of joined up thinking is virtually impossible to implement from anything but a clean slate, so it will take a significant investment in both time and money on the part of rivals to get anywhere near this level of sophistication. Its a moot point quite who will take their Discovery off the beaten tarmac. Whereas the old Discovery looked at its best with mud spattered up the sides, as it got more and more sophisticated and stretched further upmarket it began to get a little too chi-chi for serious off-road work. One suspects the latest Discovery is the automotive equivalent of the Omega watch waterproof to 200m.

Few owners will ever put it to the test but the capability in reserve is enough in itself.

FACTS AT A GLANCE

CAR: Land Rover Discovery range
PRICES: £27,315-£44,535 - on the road
INSURANCE GROUPS: 13-14
CO2 EMISSIONS: 244g/km
PERFORMANCE: Max Speed 112mph / 0-60mph 11.7s
FUEL CONSUMPTION: (urban) 24.5mpg / (extra urban) 34.5mpg / (combined) 30.0mpg
STANDARD SAFETY FEATURES: Driver's airbag, ABS
WILL IT FIT IN YOUR GARAGE?: Length/Width/Heightmm 4835/1915/1891