Now though, Land Rover and its luxury Range Rover division seem to be focused on more pavement orientated machines. I got behind the wheel of the all-new Discovery to see if it still has that adventurous spirit.
A controversial new type of Disco
When I say that the car is new, I do mean new. Aside from being nearly 500 kg lighter than the old Discovery thanks to extensive use of lightweight materials, it also has lighter engines and a completely new look.
The Gerry McGovern penned lines are however the most controversial aspects of the new Discovery, and as expected, stirred up a lot of comments during my time with it. You see, whereas the previous car continued with the tall, square and muscular shape of the original, the new Discovery has a more rounded design in the same mould as the smaller Discovery Sport.
Arguably the biggest criticisms though is to be found at the rear and particularly the middle section of the tailgate, which features an oddly shaped license plate housing. Although I don’t personally mind this, I will agree that it is not as imposing as before.
More Range Rover than Land Rover inside
Step inside and one will easily be mistaken for thinking that you have bought a Range Rover, especially when the Discovery is the HSE Luxury like my test unit was.
It’s the top spec model and when you start exploring the interior, it becomes apparent that this car has it all. There is quality leather abound, brushed aluminium and real, unpolished wood trim. It’s an interior that compliments the brand and its British heritage but with a modern touch.
In terms of the infotainment and gadgets, the new Discovery features the brand’s new Touch Pro system which does the job of entertaining you via a host of various connectivity functions perfectly, while the rear seats can be folded electrically if needed.
One can deploy the tow-bar and the 360-degree cameras display all or individual images on the high-resolution screen. My only issue is that it is not as responsive as it should be with a delay when scrolling through the various menus. The rear passengers even had their own screens built into the headrests as well as individual wireless headphones and a remote control. There are even two seats folded away in the luggage area for when you need to transport extra passengers.
Off-road
As this is a Land Rover, it should be pretty good off-road right? Well, if you want to risk taking those 21-inch wheels off road then so be it. To help you along, the new Discovery is fitted with the brand’s Terrain Response 2 system.
This allows you select the best setup for the given terrain. The car also has a low-range setting and comes with air suspension to aid ground clearance further. Another impressive factor is the 900mm wading depth. I took the car off the beaten track and its off-road capabilities remain outstanding as I was able to navigate some pretty muddy tracks without issue.
The power
Under the bonnet of my test unit sat a 3.0-litre turbocharged diesel engine that developed 190kW/600Nm, harnessed through the superb ZF-sourced eight-speed automatic gearbox. I found the engine to be rather quiet and smooth with minimal turbo lag. I also averaged around 9.4-litres/100km over my 1200km test distance, which equated to about a tank and a half of diesel, not bad considering that this behemoth weighs in at around 2.2 tons.
Verdict
Overall, I have come to the conclusion that the Discovery remains a capable off-road vehicle. It has blended technology, luxury and rugged ability into one noteworthy package. I am however concerned about the reliability of all the various electronics.
However, I do feel that the new Disco is not aimed at the hardcore off-road enthusiast like it once was. It’s aimed at someone who wants a quality, luxurious and when needed, capable SUV. Just make peace with the fact that it's not exactly cheap, with our test unit being over R1.4-million.
