PLOUGHING ON

It pays to have the right tool for the job, writes Matt Allan

Last time it snowed heavily my test car for the week was a 5.0-litre Ford Mustang convertible, possibly the least suitable vehicle ever. so when the Beast from the East swept in last weeki was mighty pleased to have the land rover discovery on test.

It’s the sort of car that begs for grotty conditions just to show what it’s all about.

In all honesty, during the worst of the weather I heeded the warnings to stay off the roads. Not through any doubt of the Land Rover’s capabilities but more from a lack of faith in my own and other drivers ’. still, once things had settled down a bit I did venture out for provisions and the discovery proved how good it is in adverse conditions.

With the six-mode Terrain Response 2 system set firmly in “grass, gravel and snow” mode the Land Rover plugged along without even ash rug or squirm on partially cleared rural roads that would defeat other vehicles. Even uncleared patches weren’ t a problem thanks to the “extra high” off-road setting on the air suspension.

Only an idiot would feel invincible in such weather but, even when the snow began in earnest again, the Discoverycertainly gave a feeling of reassuring ability that few vehicles can emulate.

Most of those that can emulate its abilities are rough-and-ready pick-ups or 4x4s from a handful of Far-eastern brands and none of them can match the Discovery’s other party piece. That of being a luxuriousseven-seat er than can cross continents with unruffled ease.

The latest Discovery is closer to its Range Rover stablemates than ever in terms of luxury. There’s high-grade leather and wood trim everywhere, hugely comfortable seating and a pleasing tactility to the controls. The 3.0-litre diesel can make itself heard at times but it’s still a smooth, powerful unit that works effortlessly with the eight-speed auto box. You could cover hundreds of miles and still feel fresh at the other end.

And that goes for everyone on board. While some SUVS’ seven-seater claims only apply if you’re carrying an army of Jimmy Krankie clones, the Discovery is different. Each seat is big enough for a proper grown-up and travelling six-up, including three kids in bulky car seats, I didn’t hear a single grumble.

That might, of course, have been down to the entertainment on offer. The kids have already crowned it this year’s best test car on the basis of the headrest mounted screens, standard on HSE Luxury models. They’re part of a setup that features a 10-inch Incontrol touchscreen with navigation, TV tuner, dual-view function, connectivity for every kind of device and a spectacular 14-speaker Meridian sound system. Adding to the comfort on our car was four-zone climate control, heated seats in all three rows and, for those up front, cooling and massage functions in the seats.

The piece de resistance for me, however, was the timed climate pack which, at the press of a button on the remote prewarmed the car – a £1,035 godsend in the recent weather.

It all adds up to an awful lot of luxury but then, at £75k, it’s an awful lot of money too.

However, looked at as a complete package, it’ s hard to grumble. there are cars that can offer similar 3.5-tonne towing and convincing off-road abilities and there are cars that can offer cosseting luxury but there are few that can offer both.

So while the Beast from the East has moved on this stormer from Solihull is still standing in a class of its own.