Disco gets a new beat
The latest Land Rover Discovery – in its third iteration – was launched in early 2017. As is customary with vehicle manufacturers, the time has arrived for its first facelift after five years. The 2021 model has new uninterrupted LED strips in its headlights that look more complete than its predecessor’s LED daytime running lights. The front bumper’s air intakes are slightly larger and the rear bumper’s skid plate, that used to be faux metal, now matches the body paint. The license plate cavity in the rear hatch remains asymmetrical – designer Gerry McGovern insists it’s the best place for a license plate – and it is now highlighted by glossy black plastic panel to drive Gerry’s opinion home.
Inside, the touchscreen in the centre console has been replaced with a larger 11.4” screen with so-called Pivi Pro software that allows automatic updates using your home’s WiFi. The Pivi Pro system uses a more powerful computer that responds faster to your commands, and where you previously had to scroll through multiple screens to get to the right function, the menu is redesigned so that a single tap of a finger should bring you the setting you want.
The previous steering wheel makes room for the same four-spoke version the Land Rover Defender has, and a number of buttons, including those for the air-con, have been replaced with new switches. Speaking of air-conditioning: thanks to PM2.5 material that filters out dust particles, pollen and all sorts of organisms from the air, a road trip is made more comfortable for those who struggle with allergies.
The middle row seats have been redesigned so that passengers have more legroom, and the air-conditioning’s air vents have been moved from the B-pillar to between the front seats where they can distribute cold or hot air more efficiently. The middle row passengers can also suspend their tablets in useful mounting points on the back of the front row’s head restraints – there are USB-A ports nearby.
The latest Land Rover Discovery gets Terrain Response 2 technology that automatically adjusts the vehicle to the road condition. There’s no any need to use the controls to switch from road mode to sand mode – the Disco does this on your behalf (you can, of course, make the switch yourself if you want to). The computer also has wading depth mode that prepares the vehicle for deep water, but this you do have to activate yourself. Should you forget to turn it on and drive through a river, the Discovery will automatically brake to prevent engine damage.
And that brings us to the engines: there are two new 3 ℓ six-cylinder engines. The petrol version – the P360 – has plenty of hybrid technology that uses a 48 V electric motor to support the internal combustion engine and thus saves on fuel and increases performance. The P360 kicks out 265 kW and 500 Nm of torque and accelerates within 6,7 seconds from 0-100 km/h. The D300 diesel engine generates 221 kW and 650 Nm and accelerates to 100 km/h in 6,8 seconds.
Prices start at R1 452 700 for the base model Discovery D300 S, while the most expensive diesel model, the Discovery D300 HSE R-Dynamic, will set you back R1 675 900. The cheapest petrol model is the Discovery P360 S which costs R1 487 600 and the flagship model, the Discovery P360 HSE R-Dynamic costs a heafty R1 710 900.
Visit Land Rover’s website to build a virtual Discovery in your favourite body colour and load it with all the gadgets your heart desires. Once you’re happy with your dream vehicle, simply press the ‘Order’ button and Land Rover will contact you regarding payment and delivery. Visit landrover.co.za for more.