The Land Rover Discovery, yes, it is an SUV! It's not a high-heeled SUV with plastic covers and an adventurous look. It really is an SUV in the truest sense of the word.
Land Rover did not invent the genre, but dedicated its entire existence to off-road vehicles and SUVs. And within that universe, few embody the essence of an SUV better than the Discovery. That is, a utility-purpose vehicle, immensely capable off-road, but without sacrificing comfort or usability for more “civilian” uses.
Of course, nowadays, the concept tends more and more towards comfort, sophistication and even luxury, than towards the utilitarian and off road aspect. But make no mistake: Discovery's capabilities remain.
New Land Rover Discovery. New to what?
There are many novelties of the fifth generation of the historic model of the British brand — the first generation appeared in the distant year of 1989. The main novelties are an aluminum monocoque, a derivation of the D7u used in the Range Rover and Range Rover Sport; for the debut of the Ingenium engines; and, not least, its new design — the most disruptive aspect of all…The change to an aluminum monocoque — the stringer chassis disappears once and for all — allowed the new model to lose approximately 400 kg compared to its predecessor. That's a lot, but it doesn't make the Land Rover Discovery a featherweight. The seven-seater 3.0 Td6, which we tested, comes close to 2300 kg — already including the driver, but not counting many of the options present (namely the 2nd and 3rd row seats with 100% electric folding).
Discovery, is that you?
The shock, for many of us, is the new design. The brutalist look of the former — straight lines and flat surfaces — perfectly suited to its purpose, and consensually acclaimed, has been replaced by a far more sophisticated, horizontal and curvaceous style. The subtle modeling of the surfaces, rounded corners and the emphasis on horizontal lines could not contrast more with its predecessor.
The new identity, seamlessly integrated into the brand's current language, couldn't be more controversial when applied to the Discovery “institution”. The final result turns out to be inadequate, especially when they tried to integrate, by force, the elements that have always characterized it — the raised roof and the asymmetrical rear. Elements that, as can be seen, do not fit in at all with the new aesthetic.
The result is in sight. The rear of the Land Rover Discovery is — and I'm sorry to say this, Gerry McGovern, I appreciate your work so much — a disaster.
Not only does the “sample” of a raised ceiling look more like a defect than a bad one, but the asymmetry of the tailgate generates a very serious misperception — since the squint of the first Morgan Aero 8 that didn't show anything like that — and the rounded corners they end up defeating the perception of width at the back, so in most cases Discovery seems too narrow and tall.
Not all is bad, with the new design proving to be aerodynamically efficient: the Cx of the new Discovery is between 0.33 and 0.35, much better than the 0.40 of the predecessor. A remarkable value for a vehicle with its physical characteristics.
I am invincible
Aesthetic considerations aside, when we climbed on board — believe me, the car is really tall — we couldn't feel better. Not only does it master one of the most inviting interiors in the segment, we're treated to a truly elevated driving position, above even other large SUVs like the Audi Q7 — which looked more like a Q5 when we were driving Discovery.
And although this scribe of yours continues to prefer "small" models, driving this Discovery becomes easier to accept the arguments of those who argue that the best and safest driving position is close to the "clouds" — even though it is the biggest fallacies .
Due to its dimensions, its dominating point of view on the rest of the traffic, the capabilities we know it has and even the way it isolates us from the outside, driving Discovery makes us feel invulnerable, almost invincible.
Rhinoceros in a china shop? Far from it
And if driving something as tall and heavy as the Land Rover Discovery could yield nautical analogies, it couldn't be further from the truth. It's surprisingly easy to handle — the controls are light but not excessive, and tactfully correct. Even the bridging is at a good level, making tighter maneuvers relatively easy to execute — sensors and cameras are there to help too.
Not only is it easy to drive, it's surprisingly good handler—much better than its weight and center of gravity would suggest. I ended up finding myself on narrower, winding roads at unexpected paces, with no complaints of any kind. Of course, by increasing the pace, limits appear, with the front end yielding first in a very noticeable and controllable way.
The air suspension effectively controls the body's movements — even though you can feel more than ideal when braking hard. In short, he is a born estradista, far from the expected clumsy animal that we can expect given his dimensions.
Discovery is synonymous with off road
With a Discovery in hand, it would even be sinful not to explore its historic and legendary abilities off-road. It is true that traversing a trail, used more often by ATVs, with some steep ramps, is not a Camel Trophy. But it's already been possible to get a “smell” of his abilities.
Terrain Response in “rocks on the way” mode, maximum height from the ground that the air suspension allows, 28.3 centimeters (21 cm in normal mode), and there I went to try to see if the generous angles of attack, exit and ramp — 34 , 30 and 27.5°, respectively — were sufficient to climb the steep but short ramps of the route. Quiet, not a drop of sweat — I don't really, as when we stop seeing the horizon through the windshield, anxiety levels tend to rise…
But it had to be easy. The new Discovery comes equipped with a true technological arsenal for off-road practice. Reducers, electronic center differential, including the aforementioned Terrain Response 2, which optimizes the various chassis systems according to the type of terrain (selectable through a rotary command in the center console). And we can even monitor on the central screen what's happening to the chassis — wheels, axle, differential — during the off-road journey.
the right engine
And both on and off road, the engine has always proved to be a great partner. No downsizing — “our” Discovery came with a very good and adequate V6 Diesel, with 3000 cm3, capable of 258 hp and 600 Nm.Alternative to 3.0 Td6
The Land Rover Discovery equipped with the Ingenium 2.0 SD4 block, with 240 hp and 500 Nm, has very similar performances, on paper, to the 3.0 Td6 tested. The smaller engine and lower emissions, save 14 thousand euros on the purchase (base price), as the IUC is substantially lower — 252.47€ against the exorbitant €775.99 of the Td6 (2017 values). It's also 115 kg lighter, with most of the ballast being removed from the front axle, with the dynamic benefits that come with it. Of course, they are all Class 2.
It's an excellent choice to handle the 2.3 tonnes of weight, with massive doses of torque available to the right foot's tastes, pushing Discovery determinedly towards the horizon.
Accompanying it is the now almost ubiquitous ZF eight-speed automatic transmission — I don't mention this with demerit. It is without a doubt one of the great transmissions of our days, equipping countless models of various brands, and as in other applications, here too it goes together extremely well with Discovery's V6.
3.0 V6? must spend
It wouldn't be hard to guess that the official 7.2 l/100 km is at least… optimistic — 11, 12 liters was the norm. In the off-road getaway it shot to more than 14 liters. It's possible to go below 10, but we have to treat the accelerator with care and not get into traffic.
More comfortable interior
If the outside is controversial, the inside is a very pleasant place. We are treated to high levels of space and comfort, high-quality materials — real wood and all, and well integrated into the whole — and many, even many, storage spaces. Not everything is perfect — the British origins are felt in the quality of the editing.
Some parasitic noises could be heard on more degraded floors and one of the storage compartments, ingeniously hidden behind the climate controls, sometimes refused to open. Nothing dramatic, but these are details that we hardly find nowadays in cars that cost 1/4 the price.
Terrain Response highlighted.
It wasn't enough to detract from the in-flight experience — heated steering wheel and seats, top-notch Meridian sound system, a generous refrigerated compartment under the armrest and a panoramic roof. The family purpose of our unit was complemented with a third row of seats, bringing the maximum capacity to seven.
As if by magic, even from the driver's seat, it was possible to fold all the seats, in the second and third row, with a simple touch of a button on the central screen. And we could put them back in place in the same way, even though the headrests don't return to their original position. In the third row, the space was also more than reasonable, as was the access, contrary to many proposals that claim to have seven seats.
The trunk is reduced a little with the third row of seats, but when folded down, you can take everything, or almost everything — for fans of moving, or IKEA heists, the Discovery is perfect, and more interesting than a Ford Transit.
Second row with specific climate controls
Discovery or a house, that's the question
We already knew from the start that, because of the car it is, and above all, because of the engine behind it, it would not be a cheap car. The base price of the seven-seat Land Rover Discovery 3.0 Td6 HSE starts at 100,000 euros and a little change — as a note, in Spain, right next door, starts at 78,000 euros. But our HSE came with several optional packages (see list).
Investing in a house might make more sense, but as the saying goes, it's not for those who want, it's for those who can. And with Discovery, we can combine business with pleasure, and bring home in the back, as it can tow 3500 kilos — as only a true SUV can.
Therefore, despite the price, Discovery ends up bringing together a set of qualities that are difficult to find in the segment.
