Bmw Mesh
A Woman’s View – Will It Suit Me?
I wasn’t keen on the original Land Rover Discovery. It may have been able to move mountains but it handled spirited driving on twisty tarmac like a Channel ferry in a blustery gale. It was also, in turbo diesel form at least, notably unrefined – at least in luxury sector terms. If Solihull really wanted to court BMW and Mercedes customers, something better was needed – and duly provided by the latest version.
To be frank, the Discovery3 was the first Discovery I would have countenanced buying. Previous models looked too agricultural for me. Fine if you were a school mum or a farmer but otherwise portraying a rather clunky image. This car is very different – and more appealing still in the further developed Discovery4 guise I’ve been looking at this week.
The basics though remain as before, but this time, instead of a single 188bhp 2.7-litre V6 diesel option, there’s also a 242bhp 3.0-litre V6 diesel to tempt those with deeper pockets. Both these engines are borrowed from Jaguar and make astonishingly little noise yet develop truck loads of torque for towing and heavy off road work.
The Practicalities
You won’t mistake even this Discovery for anything else. Land Rover say that this was deliberate: their research suggests that the ‘Disco’s’ shape is one of its most appealing features – at least to potential buyers. The marque’s styling treads a classy, predictable path and its customers wouldn’t have it any other way. Today’s Discovery has more than a hint of the salubrious Range Rover models about its front end with the industrial mesh grille and the big square light clusters which now feature LED technology.
There are more LEDs at the rear and redesigned bumpers at both ends, the front one incorporating a wider air intake to help the powerful 3.0-litre engine breathe. The tall shape is typical Land Rover with those instantly recognisable squared-off lines and clean surfaces but the designers have tried to reduce the overbearing look of the car. Some of the detailing, particularly the deep grove along the edge of the clam shell bonnet, serves to create a lower, sleeker effect.
Behind the Wheel
I found that the cabin quality has been stepped up at least a couple of notches with improved materials and a simplified control interface. The Terrain Response console now takes pride of place in front of the gear lever and the steering wheel includes controls for numerous functions, reducing the amount of time drivers need to spend with a hand away from the wheel.
Technology is everywhere in the latest Discovery, at least it will be if you have the cash for a posh trim level and a trawl through the options list. The various systems are controlled via the centrally-mounted touch screen display and the driver gets a second LCD display mounted in the instrument cluster through which major functions can be accessed via the steering wheel-mounted controls. The Portable Audio Interface allows all manner of MP3 players and USB devices to be connected and there’s a DAB radio option for your listening pleasure.
I was lucky enough to try the Discovery4 off road and was particularly impressed by its patented Terrain Response system. This is virtually akin to having an expert sitting alongside you, helping to get the best out of the vehicle, on or off road. You choose one of five terrain settings via a rotary knob mounted on the centre console. There’s a general driving programme plus one for slippery conditions (dubbed ‘grass/gravel/snow’) and three specialist off road modes (mud/ruts, sand, rock crawl). The system will then automatically select the optimum setup for the electronic controls and the traction aids. This encompasses ride height, torque response, hill descent control, electronic traction control and transmission settings. The latest system adds a launch control function designed for deep sand as well as improvements to the Hill Descent Control and the Rock Crawl mode to ensure tricky manoeuvres are made that bit easier. Superb.
Value for money
This level of excellence doesn’t come cheap. Discovery4 prices start from around £32,000 but most buyers will end up paying in the £35,000-£40,000 bracket for their cars. You can pay close to £50,000 if you go for the plushest version: for that money, I’d rather have a Range Rover.
Could I Live With One?
Easily. The size is not something you notice after a bit and the ‘Disco’ still seems more solid than its Japanese rivals.
About the Author
By June Neary. dealerbid.co.uk – a great website for anybody thinking how can I sell my car. The UK’s cash for cars comparison site.
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