Land Rover DISCOVERY3 RANGE
No Nip And Tuck Job Here. Land Rovers Latest Discovery Is New From The Ground Up. 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 is not only new from the ground up but 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.
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With the Range
Rover commanding serious money, there was a huge swath of market for the Discovery to stretch into, charging premium prices 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." 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.
"This was a true no expense spared bid to build the best possible family 4x4"
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. For buyers who dont mind splashing out on fuel, theres a 4.4-litre V8 petrol engine.
This isnt the 4.4-litre BMW-sourced engine seen in the Range Rover, instead being an enlarged version of the 4.2-litre V8 thats found under the bonnets of some Jaguar models. Tuned to deliver the sort of low down torque that Land Rover owners require, this unit also gets improved dust and water proofing and revised breathing capabilities to allow the Discovery to wade through rivers.
It has also been tested at acute angles for serious off road use. The third engine unveiled by Land Rover is a 4.0-litre petrol V6 although this has not been given the green light for UK sales. All engines feature full time four wheel drive and sprightly on-road performance.
The petrol engines are mated to a six-speed automatic gearbox with intelligent shift. This system is offered as an option for the 2.7-litre diesel, a more conventional six-speed manual being fitted as standard to this variant. 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 tramac. 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: £26,995 -£46,995 - on the road
INSURANCE GROUPS: 13-16
CO2 EMISSIONS: 249-354g/km
PERFORMANCE: [V8] Max Speed 106mph / 0-60mph 10.9s [est]
FUEL CONSUMPTION: [TDV6] (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
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