New Land Rover Discovery from under $66K

Land Rover Australia has announced full pricing and specifications for its new-generation Discovery 5, including a base price of $65,960 plus on-road costs.

That price applies to the entry-level Discovery S Td4 five-seat four-cylinder diesel, which will cost just $1025 more than the base Discovery 4 TDV6 it replaces ($64,935).

However, seven seats will cost $3400 extra ($5600 more at base level including air suspension), despite the fact that 95 per cent of buyers opt for three rows, and the cheapest version of the fifth-generation Disco won't be available when the new line-up arrives Down Under in July.

At that point, as announced in September, when the all-new monocoque Range Rover-based Discovery 5 made its world debut at the Paris motor show, the range will open at $81,950 for the seven-seat, four-cylinder SE TD4.

As we reported in November, the cheaper coil-sprung Discovery S and five-seat availability across the range will become available here around September.

Together, that will make for an MY18 Discovery range comprising no less than 25 model variants, five equipment grades (S, SE, HSE, HSE LUXURY and FIRST EDITION, 100 of which will be sold here, from a global production run of 2400) and three diesel engines – Td4, Sd4 and Td6.

All Disco 5s will come standard with a ZF eight-speed automatic transmission and 4WD system, but a two-speed transfer case with low-range is optional on S models ($920) and unavailable with Td4 engines, on which air suspension costs $2060 extra.

Likewise Terrain Response 2 is a $2060 option for all models bar the FIRST EDITION but unavailable for the base Discovery S Td4, and an active rear locking differential costs $1080 on all models. All models will, however, retain its 3500kg braked towing capacity.

Although the cheapest Discovery 5 models will return to four-cylinder power for the first time since the 1990, resulting in less power and torque, weight savings of up to 480kg from a new aluminium-intensive monocoque platform will make all models quicker and more efficient.

The Ingenium 2.0-litre Td4 turbo-diesel produces 132kW/430Nm, can hit 100km/h in a claimed 10.5 seconds and consumes 6.2L/100km in the entry-level Discovery S five-seat (seven-seat versions are unchanged or 0.1L/100km thirstier).

Next up is the Sd4, a retuned 177kW/500Nm version of the same engine, which hits 100km/h in 8.3sec and consumes 6.4L/100km in the Discovery S, while the range-topping 190kW/600Nm 3.0-litre V6 turbo-diesel Td6 consumes 7.2L/100km and hits 100km/h in 8.1sec.

Both S and SE models ride on 19-inch alloy wheels, while HSE/HSE LUXURY models come with 20-inch rims and the five-seat-only FIRST EDITION has 21s.

Buyers of the entry-level S models must pay $1610 extra for the satellite-navigation system fitted in SE variants, and all other models come standard with Navigation Pro with off-road maps and a 10GB media storage system.

However, all models come standard with autonomous emergency braking, lane departure warning, reversing camera, rear parking sensors, a single-piece tailgate and Jaguar Land Rover's InControl infotainment system  measuring 8.0-inch in the S and SE, and 10-inch in other models.

Fuji white is the only solid paint colour and – among the host of other optional extras -- all metallic hues cost $2010 extra (premium metallic paint is a $4020 option).

As we've reported, stocks of the existing Discovery 4 will run out within months, due to demand for the outgoing model and delays in securing

2017 Land Rover Discovery 5 pricing (plus ORCs):
S Td4 five-seat -- $65,960
S Td4 seven-seat -- $71,560
S Sd4 five-seat – $71,560
S Sd4 seven-seat – $77,960
S Td6 five-seat -- $78,560
S Td6 seven-seat -- $84,960
SE Td4 five-seat -- $77,050
SE Td4 seven-seat -- $81,590
SE Sd4 five-seat -- $83,450
SE Sd4 seven-seat -- $87,990
SE Td6 five-seat -- $90,450
SE Td6 seven-seat -- $94,990
HSE Td4 five-seat -- $87,150
HSE Td4 seven-seat -- $90,550
HSE Sd4 five-seat -- $93,550
HSE Sd4 seven-seat -- $96,950
HSE Td6 five-seat -- $100,550
HSE Td6 seven-seat -- $103,950
HSE LUXURY Td4 five-seat -- $100,950
HSE LUXURY Td4 seven-seat -- $104,350
HSE LUXURY Sd4 five-seat -- $107,350
HSE LUXURY Sd4 seven-seat -- $110,750
HSE LUXURY Td6 five-seat -- $114,350
HSE LUXURY Td6 seven-seat -- $117,750
FIRST EDITION Td6 -- $132,160