WITH the continual pressure on makers of large SUVs to clean up their acts, the latest update from Land Rover of its Discovery 4 should silence the critics.
While the car looks, largely, the same as before, changes to the sole diesel engine option have resulted in a meaningful reduction in emissions and fuel consumption.
For UK buyers the engine of choice is Land Rover’s familiar 3.0-litre diesel unit complete with the now expected stop-start technology. In 2014 model year guise the 252bhp unit emits 231g/km of CO2, down from 230g/km.
There’s similar good news on the economy front, with 35.3mpg now the norm – up from 32.1mpg.
The end result is that the changes see the car drop a tax band, which should please business users.
Contributing to this cleaner performance is the car’s eight-speed auto gearbox, which combined with the already comprehensive off-road technology allows drivers to pilot the Discovery with confidence over the most challenging of terrains.
The basic shape remains the same, although Land Rover’s design team has tinkered with the car’s headlights, bonnet and bumpers.
However, nothing stands still in the technology environment, and the 2014 Discovery has been given a welcome boost in the shape of blind spot monitoring, a handy wading depth sensor array to warn you of exceeding the car’s maximum operating depth and cameras that can help enhance your vision at T-junctions.
As for the rest of the Discovery experience, it’s business as usual. The car’s plush cabin, complete with minimalist, fuss-free fascia delivers a premium ambience to rival that of executive saloons. It's not Range Rover-plush, but you will certainly feel cosseted as well as safe and secure.
As a family wagon the Discovery isn’t short of space, and there is seating for seven when the need arises.
The tailgate opens wide to reveal a flat, wide expanse of space capable of swallowing all manner of kit .
On road the car displays a level of poise and refinement that’s rare in something this tall and weighty. The lofty driving position gives you a panoramic view of the road ahead, allowing you to look over parked cars, dry walls or hedges – depending on whether you are negotiating city roads of country lanes.
As the most rounded of all Land Rover’s products, the Discovery combines a powerful and creamy smooth diesel engine, an intelligent transmission and a suite of electronic aids designed to help make light work of the toughest of hazards.
Factor in the Discovery’s towing abilities and you’ve got an all-roader capable of wafting through town one moment and able to transport you safely across inhospitable terrain the next – all without you or the car breaking into a sweat.
The Discovery retains its position as the ultimate all-purpose vehicle with over 1,100,000 retail sales and 219 international awards since its launch in 1989, commending both its breadth of capability and versatility attributes.
Land Rover is celebrating 25 years of Discovery with new additions. Customers now have the option to add striking features from the XXV Special Edition anniversary model as well as gaining extra features as standard with the new SE and SE Tech additions to the derivative line up. In-car technologies also receive a boost with the introduction of Land Rover InControlTM Apps.
SE is the new entry point to the Discovery range. With this change, customers receive additional features as standard compared to the previous entry point GS specification. These include cruise control, front fog lights, automatic headlamps and wipers, headlamp power wash, auto dimming rear view mirror and interior foot well and door puddle lamps.
SE Tech replaces the previous XS specification and adds Xenon headlights with LED signature as standard whilst HSE variants now feature 20-inch alloy wheels as standard rather than the previous 19-inch.
Land Rover InControlTM Apps is introduced as a customer option to complement the Discovery’s existing infotainment system and provide the ultimate for in-car connectivity. It brings the convenience, familiarity and original look and feel of compatible smartphone apps into the owner’s vehicle, which are displayed and controlled from the vehicle’s touchscreen.
The full five-model range and prices are as follows: HSE Luxury £59,965; HSE £54,495; SE Tech £47,495; Commercial XS £42,295; SE £41,595.
Land Rover Discovery 3.0 SDV6 HSE Luxury
Price: from £59,965 (Discovery range from £41,595)
Engine: 3.0-litre turbocharged diesel V6 unit developing 255bhp
Transmission: 8-speed automatic transmission driving all four wheels
Performance: Maximum speed 112mph, 0-60mph 8.8 seconds
Economy: 35.3mpg.
CO2 Rating: 213g/km
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