Review: Land Rover Discovery

Land Rover’s 70 year specialism in 4WD vehicles has put it in position A when it comes to capitalising on the SUV craze. The company has a strong following, too – but the opposition has been watching and learning over the years. That means that the all-new Land Rover Discovery can’t rest on any laurels in its fight to steal luxury SUV sales from Audi and Volvo.

As before, the new Discovery is a big seven-seater. Positioned above the smaller Discovery Sport and below the much dearer Range Rover Sport, it’s aimed at families wanting space, practicality and useability rather than pure luxury or performance.

Entry-level cars are pitched at an attractive £43,495, for which you’ll get a 2.0-litre diesel like the Discovery Sport’s but with an additional turbocharger. The expectation is, however, that most people will opt for the punchier 3.0-litre V6 diesel. You can only get that in higher trim levels though, so the V6 entry price is less appealing at £50,995.

Compared to the old Discovery, this new one feels like a whippet with a university degree. Constructing it from high-stiffness aluminium has shaved off the best part of half a tonne, making it a lot more wieldy. It’s still built for comfort rather than speed, but now you can hum along along bendy roads without any disconcerting sensation of top-heaviness. It’s not quite as manoeuvrable as Volvo’s XC90, but it is a close match in handling feel with the Audi Q7.

Many rivals charge extra for air suspension, but it’s standard fare on the Discovery and that’s good news particularly on the motorway, where the ride is airliner-smooth. Even badly pockmarked roads are imperiously dismissed.

Improved aerodynamics reduce both fuel consumption and wind noise, and although you can hear the smaller 2.0 engine when it’s working hard, both it and the 3.0-litre are virtually silent while cruising. There’s suprisingly little between the two on measurable performance: both can tow up to 3.5 tonnes, and every model gives you class-leading 283mm ground clearance and 900mm wading depth. Needless to say there’s an array of electronic driver aids to get you through, across or over most things.

The old Discovery wasn’t short on interior space, but it didn’t make especially good use of it. Land Rover has put a lot of thought into this aspect, and it’s come good: the new Discovery is the world’s most family-friendly SUV.

All five rear seats can be raised and lowered electronically via boot buttons, the 10in touchscreen, or remotely by a Land Rover smartphone app. The process takes just 14 seconds, and will only happen if weight sensors in the seats give the go-ahead.

Second row seats slide and recline, leaving plenty of knee and foot room even for very tall people. Better yet, normal adults won’t feel the pinch in the third row, traditionally the poor relation for space: the Discovery offers more headroom there than a Q7 and a XC90, too.

Boot space will be a function of the number of passengers on board, but the Discovery matches the opposition irrespective of which of the 21 seating configurations you choose. Set up in five-seat mode you’ll have ample room to take four bods and all their equipment on a camping holiday. The old Discovery split tailgate has gone but a boot floor section folds out instead, overhanging the rear bumper and giving you with a useful platform for boot removal and the like.

Front seat passengers will adore the lofty road view, the comfortable seats, and the quality feel of the materials. There are fewer hard surfaces in a Q7, but all the places you’ll be coming into contact with in the Discovery will delight with their classy solidity.