Land Rover Discovery
All-new family off-roader gets rounded lines and the trappings of a luxury model inside
IN the Land Rover Discovery’s lifespan there have only been four versions, so this all-new fifth-generation car is a major chapter in the story. Our pictures show a top-spec HSE Luxury model, but the car we’re testing is one step down the ladder: the £57,495 Land Rover Discovery 2.0 Sd4 HSE.
DESIGN & ENGINEERING
THERE’S something new for this fifth incarnation of Land Rover’s rugged yet refined 4x4. The Sd4 tag signifies that this car is powered by Land Rover’s 2.0-litre four-cylinder Ingenium turbodiesel. It’s not the first time the Discovery has used a four-cylinder diesel, but the Discovery 4 and 3 before it were only available with V6s. A V6 diesel is still offered, along with a supercharged V6 petrol.
The Sd4 engine is mounted in an all-new chassis. This time, the Discovery has ditched the body-onframe construction that served it well for nearly three -decades and in its place is an aluminium monocoque related to the Range Rover and Range Rover Sport. This has saved up to 480kg over the old car, although the Discovery still weighs in at a hefty 2,184kg.
The new chassis is controlled by double-wishbone front suspension and a multilink axle at the rear derived from the Range Rover’s set-up. With more use of aluminium for these components, together with the reduced weight overall, it promises to improve the Disco’s efficiency and agility, which were two of its predecessor’s weak spots.
Electronically controlled air-suspension is fitted as standard across the range, so this car should offer near-range Rover comfort and even more practicality for a significantly lower price.
The range starts from £43,995 for the entry-level S model with the Sd4 unit. However, things rise fairly steeply for this well-equipped HSE trim. An upgraded 10-inch infotainment system with sat-nav, Bluetooth, DAB and plenty of other connected services is standard, while LED lights, heated leather seats, keyless entry and a rear-view camera are all included too. There’s also quality to match the kit, because the cabin is lined with lots of soft leather.
DRIVING
THE new Discovery is lighter than its predecessor, but it’s still on the heavy side so it isn’t particularly agile. The steering is also slow, and the car doesn’t grip around corners as strongly as the XC90, or the Q7 in particular.
However, the Land Rover is set up for comfort. Our car’s large 21-inch wheels caused a slight jiggle over harsher bumps, but in the most part the Discovery’s ride is smooth, flowing over the road and gently damping body and wheel motion.
This isn’t the only part of the car’s impressive refinement, though. Wind and road noise are kept in check nicely, while the four-cylinder diesel doesn’t grumble too much. It’s a twin-turbo unit that produces 237bhp and 500Nm of torque, and only under hard acceleration does the diesel growl become intrusive. The eight-speed auto changes smoothly.
Despite the weight saving, this is still not a fast car. At our track the 0-60mph sprint took 9.5 seconds, which was a full 3. 2 seconds slower than the Q7, while its in-gear performance wasn’t as impressive as the lighter, punchier Audi or the Volvo – although outright performance isn’t as important here.
Land Rover’s Terrain Response 2 system eclipses the others’ for off-road performance, while on road it has the measure of its rivals for luxury and comfort.
PRACTICALITY
THE Disco also has its rivals beaten when it comes to practicality, because it offers 1,137 litres of boot space in five-seat mode. This rises to 2,406 litres with the second and third rows folded down, while it’s also easily the roomiest for passengers.
You fold the middle seats electrically to get into the third row, and while it’s a bit of a climb, the opening you squeeze through is bigger than in the Q7. Once you’re sat there, the Discovery offers the most legroom, while there’s also more headroom than in the Q7. Stadium seating means the view out is good, too.
The middle row of seats slide independently, while there’s plenty of space, too. Storage is also excellent, with cubbies all around the cabin; the climate control panel folds down to reveal a slot for sunglasses or a smartphone. There’s also a fold-down ledge in the boot to make up for the elimination of the last Disco’s split tailgate.
OWNERSHIP
LAND Rover didn’t perform too well in our Driver Power 2016 satisfaction survey, finishing 22nd overall and the lowest of these three brands.
Given this is a family car, the impressive level of safety tech should offer plenty of peace of mind; lane-departure warning, a blind-spot monitor with reverse traffic alert and autonomous emergency braking with pedestrian detection are all standard, which earned the Discovery a five-star Euro NCAP rating. You can upgrade with items such as adaptive cruise with queue assist (£1,475), which also adds intelligent emergency braking.
RUNNING COSTS
THE Discovery has been on a crash diet, but it’s still a big, heavy machine. So despite being powered by a new four-cylinder engine, its 171g/km CO2 emissions trail its rivals’ here.
As a result, the Land Rover will be the costliest as a company car, with higher-rate taxpayers having to cough up £8,156 per year. This compares with £6,516 for the Volvo and £7,085 for the Audi.