Land Rover Discovery 2021 Review

The fifth-generation Land Rover Discovery that arrived in 2017 won plenty of plaudits, including the carsales Car of the Year accolade.

Declaring it a “real game-changer”, the Discovery won praise for its performance, packaging, refinement, safety, innovation and unrivalled capability off-road. We said it “perfectly matched the needs and wants of many Australian buyers”.

Fast-forward four years and the Disco 5 has reached middle age, prompting Land Rover to introduce a significant update for the 2021 model year.

While the exterior carries only the the mildest of nip and tucks, the cabin now includes a faster and better-connected infotainment system, and under the bonnet there’s two all-new engines.

One of these is a 3.0-litre inline six-cylinder petrol engine with mild-hybrid tech, replacing the old supercharged V6 and even older V8. The other is an electrified version of the British car-maker’s 3.0-litre diesel.

So far, so good. But with the 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbo-diesel also now removed from the range, the price of entry to the 2021 Land Rover Discovery range increases by more than $27,000 to a pinch under $100K.

That’s no small jump, and puts additional focus on whether the MY21 Disco remains king of the hill in its seven-seat large luxury SUV class.

Where once the Disco range kicked off at $66,000, today the cheapest version of the 2021 Land Rover Discovery costs $99,900 plus on-road costs.

But once you get over the fact that the 2.0-litre SD4 has been deleted, and compare like-for-like with the remaining range – including the D300’s advanced new 221kW 3.0-litre inline diesel six – the latest Discovery is less than $15K more expensive than the previous 225kW SDV6.

Better still, Land Rover claims the Discovery S D300 is fitted with more than $32,000 worth of additional features compared with the SDV6 it replaces.

Speaking of standard kit, this entry-level S D300 is fitted with 20-inch wheels, a full-length panoramic roof, LED headlights and tail-lights, active dampers, a wade sensor, seven-seat capacity, 14-way electric front seat adjustment, leather upholstery for the front positions, and the 11.4-inch Pivi Pro infotainment system with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto smartphone connectivity.

There’s also DAB+ digital radio, seven USB (or USB-C) charging points, a virtual instrument cluster, powered tailgate and driver assist safety features that include blind spot assist, active cruise control, high-speed autonomous emergency braking (AEB) and rear traffic monitor.

With all that on board, this most basic S version arguably offers most buyers all they’ll ever need – unless you regularly venture off-road.

In that case, you’ll want to spend another $2110 for the dual-range transfer case (standard on P360 R-Dynamic) and the most advanced Terrain Response 2 electronics. We’d also be tempted by the $1100 locking rear differential.

Other options include roof rails (from $840), a solar attenuating windscreen ($560), Matrix LED headlights ($1261, standard on HSE/R-Dynamic HSE), electric-folding third row seats ($900, standard on HSE/R-Dynamic HSE), four-zone climate control ($1820) and a new cabin air purifier ($470).

It’s also a shame that both a wireless phone charger ($455) and head-up display ($2420) remain an option on whatever model you choose, while Land Rover also makes you fork out $104 for locking wheel nuts and $210 for tyre pressure monitoring.

There’s also a Cold Climate Pack ($2550), Hot Climate Pack ($3145), Family Pack ($3515), Towing Pack ($3910) and advanced Off-Road Capability Pack ($3970) that all bundle individual options for better value.

Closest rivals for the Discovery remain the Audi Q7 (from $103,300), BMW X5 (from $104,900) and Mercedes GLE (from $107,100) and Volvo XC90 (from $89,990).

All 2021 Land Rover Discovery variants come with a full-size spare wheel. Service intervals remain dependent on driving style and use, while the vehicle is covered by Land Rover’s average three-year/100,000km warranty.

Based on a full aluminium monocoque, rather than the unusual monocoque and ladder-frame hybrid architecture employed for the Discovery 3 and 4, the latest-generation Land Rover Discovery took a huge leap forward in terms of safety when it was introduced in 2017.

When tested by ANCAP back then, the independent safety body awarded the Land Rover a very respectable 90 per cent score for adult occupant protection and 88 per cent for child occupant protection.

Both ANCAP and Euro NCAP have rated the Discovery a five-star vehicle, although the crash testing protocols are tougher now than they were in 2017.

As well as a full complement of airbags and the aforementioned driver assist tech, there’s a driver fatigue monitor plus a new Clear Exit Monitor which alerts both front and rear occupants to the presence of an approaching car or cyclist when climbing out of the vehicle.

JLR’s new 3D Surround Camera tech has also been introduced that not only assists parking but offers a junction view and other angles to boost vision and safety.

Like the recently-introduced MY2021 Jaguar F-PACE, one of the biggest hidden changes of the new updated Discovery is it has adopted Jaguar Land Rover’s latest EVA2 hardware.

This has allowed the car-maker to not only introduce its state-of-the-art Pivi Pro infotainment system that’s operated through a large 11.4-inch screen, but allows for over-the-air updates which means it will remain cutting-edge even while the model ages.

A new Wi-Fi internet hub now allows for up to eight devices to be connected, while each seat gets access to a USB charger.

An updated multifunction steering wheel is part of the package, while there’s now a customisable 12.3-inch digital instrument panel.

Other fresh tech includes JLR’s air filtration system that traps superfine particles and purifies the atmosphere within the cabin.

Both the previous 2.0-litre turbo-diesel (177kW/500Nm) and 3.0-litre V6 turbo-diesel (225kW/700Nm) engines in the Land Rover Discovery have been pensioned off and replaced by JLR’s latest electrified 3.0-litre inline six-cylinder units that benefit from the car-maker’s new 48-volt mild-hybrid tech.

It’s thought most Australians will opt for the D300 diesel that pumps out 221kW/650Nm, which is enough to haul the 2021 Land Rover Discovery from rest to 100km/h in just 6.8 seconds before topping out at 209km/h.

At the pumps, Land Rover says its latest inline-six diesel can average a decent 8.9L/100km while emitting around 232g/km of CO2.

For those who tow, the Discovery can still tug a class-leading 3500kg, whether it’s the diesel or the new P360 petrol.

Featuring twin turbos and an electric motor-driven supercharger, the new P360 3.0-litre musters more power than the diesel (265kW) but significantly less torque, peaking at 500Nm. But that peak is delivered low in the rev range at 1750rpm.

Against the clock, the petrol-fed Disco launches to 100km/h in 6.5sec, topping out at 209km/h. That doesn’t feel appreciably quicker than the diesel, but the biggest gain is felt mid-gears, when the P360 can punch its way from 80-120km/h in 4.1sec – 0.8sec faster than the D300.

Whether diesel or petrol, both engines combine with an excellent smooth-and-quick eight-speed automatic transmission and come with JLR’s intelligent all-wheel drive.

In Comfort or Auto mode, both engines feel well up to the task of shrugging off a near 2.4-tonne kerb weight.

The diesel’s torquier, more relaxing character will appeal to most people who currently drive large SUVs, but we can imagine the new petrol engine’s significant refinement gain could find plenty of favour.

With the reintroduction of a petrol engine, JLR engineers might have been tempted to dial-up the sportiness on the 2021 Land Rover Discovery. But they’ve resisted.

Instead, they’ve worked on increasing comfort across the board, even on the new optional 22-inch rims.

We’re already mentioned how refined the smooth-spinning the petrol engine is beside the ever-so-slightly gruff diesel, but if you’re looking for a sonorous soundtrack that will have you chasing the redline in the family chariot, you’ll be disappointed.

Instead, it’s best to sit back and focus on the effortless pace both variants deliver in space and be impressed at how silent the petrol 3.0-litre turbo is while cruising on the highway.

As part of the MY21 revisions, JLR has improved both steering and body control of the already-impressive Discovery yet further. Yet without any trick active anti-roll bars, there’s still plenty of body movement in tight corners.

As part of the updates, the second-row seats have been redesigned for better support over long distances, while the third row remains class-leading for the space it offers.

Like before, where the Discovery really edges out its rivals is in blending its impeccable road manners with genuine off-road capability.

We’ve driven the pre-facelifted Discovery in truly treacherous conditions that include wading right up to (if not beyond) its 900mm wading limit and tackled obstacles and tracks that would strand a BMW X5 or Audi Q7, so it should be business as usual for the MY21 series.

And, indeed, over a short off-road course the air suspension raised its body away from any harm, while lockable diffs and advanced electronics meant traction and its abilities were never questioned.

Back on the highway, the Discovery remains a civilised place to soak up the kilometres. It misses out on the recently-revised F-PACE’s trick noise cancellation tech but the sound of the wind buffeting and tyre roar is well supressed.

A pair of fancy new LED headlights and reprofiled front and rear bumpers do little to hide the fact the 2021 Land Rover Discovery isn’t the freshest in its segment.

But that said, the qualities that helped it clinch the 2017 carsales Car of the Year crown still shine through.

The new Pivi Pro infotainment system is now as good as any of its rivals, while the six-cylinder petrol and diesel engines give it a competitive edge over four-cylinder rivals like the Volvo XC90.

Throw in its decent drive and exceptional comfort, and the Discovery remains a compelling proposition.

Indeed, arguably its biggest rival is not from Germany or elsewhere in Europe but from within the British brand’s own stable, where former Disco owners are sure to be migrating into the closely-priced and bigger new Land Rover Defender – which was Highly Commended in the just-announced 2020 carsales Car of the Year.

Editor's note: Since announcing pricing for the facelifted MY21 Discovery last November, Jaguar Land Rover Australia has increased pricing across the board for MY22. The MY22 Land Rover Discovery R-Dynamic HSE P360 is priced from $120,575 plus ORCs. The entry-level S D300 ticks over $100K at $101,875 plus ORCs.

How much does the 2021 Land Rover Discovery R-Dynamic HSE P360 cost?
Price: $118,600 (plus on-road costs)
Available: April 2021
Engine: 3.0-litre six-cylinder turbo-petrol
Output: 265kW/500Nm
Transmission: Eight-speed automatic
Fuel: 10.6L/100km
CO2: 254g/km
Safety rating: Five-star (ANCAP 2017)

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