Land Rover Discovery 2017 Review - International

If there is a car that deserves the over-used epithet ‘all-new’, it’s the fifth-generation Land Rover Discovery.

Launched at the Paris show last September and on-sale in Australia from July (2017), it has traded in its predecessor’s boxy shape for more rounded if somewhat controversial lines; has swapped from a heavy-duty off-roading frame to a lighter aluminium-intensive monocoque chassis it shares with Range Rover; and added two new ‘Ingenium’ four-cylinder turbo-diesel engines.

There’s much, much more technology to absorb and you can read about it at the above link. You can also check out our pricing and equipment preview story for Australian range — a line-up that spans from around $65,000 to over $132,000

What that new pricing and equipment tells us is that Jaguar Land Rover Australia has big ambitions for Discovery, which has been a stalwart sales performer for a brand that hasn’t always been as in favour with buyers as it is today. The entry-level pricing has been retained around the same positon as the old vehicle but the line-up has also dramatically grown way beyond the $120K mark.

So JLRA wants to keep the rusted-on loyalists who love Discovery for its people-moving and mountain-climbing abilities. But it also wants to woo more affluent customers who might usually shop for an Audi Q7, BMW X5 and Volvo XC90 and grow sales in the process.

Judging by our first up-close and personal experience with the new Discovery over more than 600km at the global launch in spectacular southern Utah this week, it has every chance of achieving those goals.

Slick seven-seater
In seven-seat form – a $3400 option on most versions of Discovery - it can shift six to seven adults in acceptable comfort and space. You can even access row three without much of a drama.

Even from the third row visibility is decent. Of course, there’s virtually no luggage room if all seats are filled. Keep row three folded, however, and there’s a voluminous 1231 litres, fold row two and it expands to a massive 2500.

Incidental storage around the cabin is generous and clever, including a double glovebox and a hidden bin behind the air-conditioning controls on the dashboard.

Seats, especially up-front and in the middle row are very supportive and comfortable.

Armed with the best of its optional off-road gear it has enough knob twiddling and button punching resources to climb and descend just about any challenge. During some tough tests in Utah, we successfully negotiated deeply rutted sand tracks, slick mounds of boulders, desert dunes and – very memorably – a deep rutted mud bath that the Disco churned through irrepressibly and exited from sideways and completely slathered in goo.

Finally, the lift in the quality of its interior materials and quality is palpable. Once a workhorse, the Disco has moved to the top end of town. That impression is based on the HSE and HSE Luxury specification cars we drove Stateside. What the base level S will be like we just don’t know yet. It doesn’t get to Australia until the very end of 2017 or the start of 2018, so hopefully we will have a chance to drive it before then.

On the road
As we found out during our preview drive, the new Discovery motors along with a resolved elegance on the bitumen. Although the new architecture sheds up to 480kg compared to its predecessor, Discovery 5 still weighs in at a minimum 2099kg. So, that means you could never describe it as lithe or light on its feet. Nor does the new Disco ever feel like it’s smaller than its substantial 4970mm length, 1846mm height and 20173mm width.

But the high-spec vehicles’ air suspension systems dealt with severe corrugations and pot holes efficiently and comfortably and the electric-assist steering kept the nose pointing approximately where you wanted to go without providing any real feedback. The interior was kept hushed and pleasant by what must be quite a load of noise deadening. You could engage in conversation between row one and three without shouting. If you wanted to…

It’s worth pointing out air springs are non-adjustable apart from height, so the compliant ride and floaty body behaviour the Discovery is delivered with is what you get. There’s no attempt to tie the body down or deliver a corner carving performance. If you want that, buy a Range Rover Sport… Or a BMW X5, etcetera.

The new 177kW Sd4 four-cylinder turbo-diesel engine and revised 3.0-litre Td6 V6 turbo-diesel we sampled provided, in turn, acceptable and decent response. Neither was a stunner in terms of mid-range acceleration, but both worked well with the excellent standard ZF eight-speed auto that is used across the range. The auto is controlled by the now traditional (for Jaguar Land Rover) rotary shifter rising from the centre console (and/or paddles on the steering wheel).

Ultimately, the V6, armed with an extra 13kW and 100Nm (but weighed down with an extra 100kg approx) showed itself to have just that touch more response. It was an attribute that proved itself more useful negotiating off-road challenges (like deep sand) than cruising on bitumen, especially in urban areas.

The message of all that? If you need ultimate performance, then spend the extra $7000 the V6 demands over the Sd4 (in equivalent spec). But if you don’t feel the need for extra speed, then the four-cylinder will do just fine.

On the other hand
Concerns raised at this early juncture of our experience with the new Discovery? Well, as already stated, we haven’t sampled the price-leading S, which means we haven’t tried the coil spring suspension with which it’s equipped. We also haven’t tried out the new entry-level Td4 132kW/430Nm turbo-diesel engine.

Indeed, it’s easy to be a tad dubious about how strong it will feel when the Sd4 and the Td6 don’t rock our world. Towing will be a particularly interesting test. The Td4 is rated at 3000kg (braked), whereas the rest of the range is 3500kg.

Off-road, in some circumstances, it’s possible to rely on the Disco’s electronic armoury including All Terrain Progress Control (an option) and do nothing more than steer while the vehicle clambers up and down tricky tracks. It’s a curiously disconnected and vaguely dissatisfying experience. Hey, we love all the safety nets, but it’s nice to have some input.

The move to the new single-piece tailgate, included a powered inner section, doesn’t seem a particularly well thought-out detail. A nod to the Disco’s old split tailgate, it provides a place to sit when the tailgate is open. Mostly, however, it just gets in the way of access to the boot.

Then there’s the styling, which to me is the least cohesive and compelling JLR exterior of recent times. The front is universal Land Rover/Range Rover and doesn’t marry with the rear-end. With another Disco tradition, the stepped roof, the new car looks incredibly tall and prompts comparison with the Ssangyong Stavic people-mover – there I said it. But, as we always caution, style is very much in the eye of the beholder.

The other concern is just how many things are optional in this vehicle. We have covered the fact that Land Rover has made the multi-mode Terrain Response 2 optional but this move applies to other equipment. You’ll pay extra for all paint colours bar white (up to $4020) and things like tyre pressure monitoring ($200), adaptive cruise control ($3290) and the aforementioned seven seats are all also extra.

Continuing the theme, the nifty advanced tow assist function is an $830 option and a head up display will cost a hefty $2370. There are also many, many option packs. Surprisingly, there is no Apple CarPlay or Android Auto connectivity for your smartphone.

The above are options that generally apply across the range, but the entry-level S and Td4 engine are worse off with some stuff like Terrain Response 2 simply not even offered.

Key items that do come standard include: front, side and window airbags (the latter extending to row three if required); autonomous emergency braking, lane departure warning, a reversing camera with parking aids, hill descent control and hill launch assist; LED headlights (except S, which gets halogens); a choice of 19 and 20-inch alloys (except 21s for the limited edition First Edition); leather trim and powered front seats (S gets cloth and manual adjustment); and , climate control (manual in the S).

Naturally, there is a full-size spare wheel.

Where does all that leave the all-new Discovery? Clearly defined, with its own character and impressive capabilities.

Indeed, in the luxury SUV space that’s dominated by identikit German light-duty off-roaders, the Discovery offers a more comfortable and relaxed experience and substantially more off-road performance – provided you buy the options. And compared to another great off-roader like the Toyota Prado, the big Brit is far more convincing on-road and from a totally different era technically and in terms of refinement.

It’s easy to see Discovery continuing – and growing – its success for Land Rover.

Land Rover Discovery HSE Sd4
Price: $90,550 plus on-road costs
Engine: 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbo-diesel
Outputs: 177kW/500Nm
Transmission: Eight-speed automatic
Fuel: 6.5L/100km
CO2: 171g/km
Safety Rating: N/A

Land Rover Discovery HSE Td6
Price: $96,950 plus on-road costs
Engine: 3.0-litre V6 turbo-diesel
Outputs: 190kW/600Nm
Transmission: Eight-speed automatic
Fuel: 7.2L/100km
CO2: 189g/km
Safety Rating: N/A