The Star: October 05, 2017

The Star 47
Driven
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Generation change for
Land-Rover Discovery
• By Ross Kiddie
THERE’S MANY a new
sport utility vehicle buyer
whose passion for the
Range Rover brand hasn’t
evolved into a purchase.
That’s simply because a
Range Rover proper will set
you back close to a couple
of hundred thousand dollars
and upward from there.
However, all is not lost,
Land-Rover still make an
upmarket sports utility
vehicle that will give you
many of the benefits engineered
into Range Rover
but will save you much
money. That vehicle is the
Discovery.
Land-Rover’s Discovery
isn’t new, it’s been around
since 1989 and has just
morphed into what will be
effectively known as the
fifth-generation variant.
While its new design
will tempt with a shape
that is far removed from
the square, boxy look of its
predecessors, the mechanicals
which make Discovery
the off-road champion
amongst four-wheel-drive
vehicles hasn’t changed.
It still gets the Terrain
Response, two-speed transfer
system which is widelyregarded
as the world’s best
4WD system. And while its
prowess off-road is hard to
challenge, the Discovery is
also all about the fine side
of motoring, it is plush,
refined and downright
civilised in all environments.
Discovery also provides
some surprises, gone is
the old petrol-fueled V8
engine. New Zealand buyers
get the choice of just
two powerplants, petrol
and diesel, both in the
form of V6 configuration,
and landing in three specifications
at the same price
from $114,900. The evaluation
car was the rangetopping
HSE Luxury which
sits at $136,900 and was the
3-litre diesel variant.
With turbocharged
boost the engine is rated
at 190kW and 600Nm. If
you take into account the
areas where peak power
is realised – 3750rpm and
maximum torque from
1750rpm to 2250rpm –
there is an immense flow
of power from the point of
instant acceleration.
In this form the
Discovery has speed not
often associated with vehicles
which carry so much
bulk. The Discovery tips
the scales hefty at almost
2300kg, yet it will storm to
100km/h from a standstill
LAND-ROVER DISCOVERY: Arguably the world’s
best four-wheel-drive system.
in 8.1sec and will make
120km/h from 80km/h in
4.2sec.
Not only is it a strong
performer in terms of
acceleration, it offers amazing
fuel usage returns.
During my testing time
the average consumption
readout was constantly listing
around 8.8-litre per
100km (32mpg), along with
an instantaneous highway
usage rate of just 7.8l/100km
(36mpg) at 100km/h, the
engine turning over slowly at
just 1500rpm.
• Price – Land-Rover
Discovery, $136,900
• Dimensions – Length,
4970mm; width,
2073mm; height,
1888mm
• Configuration – V6,
four-wheel-drive,
2993cc, 190kW,
600Nm, eight-speed
automatic.
• Performance –
0-100km/h, 8.1sec
• Fuel usage –
7.5l/100km
Latest Christchurch news at www.star.kiwi
Those figures sit well
with Land-Rover’s combined
cycle average claim
of 7.5l/100km (37mpg).
Power is directed
through an eight-speed
automatic gearbox. It is a
stunner in terms of shift
quality, the changes are
seamless and there is fluid
interaction between the
engine and transmission.
The entire driveline is
refined, but beneath the
sophistication is rugged
engineering for life offroad.
There is a complex
mechanical structure, but
its application is sublime.
One of the Discovery’s
major engineering benefits
is that of its air suspension.
Not only does it link well
with the Terrain Response
system, it also provides
an uncompromised ride.
Rough road surfaces are
absorbed with little in-cabin
shock, it travels smoothly
providing the occupants
with high levels of comfort.
Body balance when presented
with a corner or two
is also controlled; there is
little lean in comparison
to its height, gravitational
forces are kept in check.
The air suspension system
also lends itself to
an adjustable ride height
system, all dictated by the
driver through a centre
console-mounted dial. The
Terrain Response operation
is also located in the same
area, all the driver has to
do is determine the type
of off-road surface ahead
and dial in the appropriate
setting.
On-road, too, the
Discovery is a delightful
vehicle in which to travel.
It whisks through the air
quietly and tackles a tricky
corner with confidence.
There’s a lot of vehicle, but
it steers with precision and
reasonable accuracy thanks
to huge Good Year tyres
(255/55 x 20in).
On board comfort is
seldom jeopardised. It is
a competent seven-seater
and has all the ingredients
in place which make it
functional and practical,
along with ease of use.
It’s fair to say the
Discovery includes a mammoth
amount of technology,
much of it is unseen
until safety elements come
into play, there are various
active driver assistance
systems which keep the
vehicle out of trouble in the
first instance.
I travelled almost 300km
in the evaluation car, each
journey was pleasurable
and there was never a time
when I thought its size
weighed against its concept.
While it doesn’t seem
logical that a vehicle with
so much bulk and sophistication
could be such a
worthy off-road machine, it
certainly is. It is more than
one vehicle, it lends itself
to many applications and
excels at all of them.
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