The brand ‘Discovery’ in motoring terms has become synonymous with versatility. Ever since Land Rover introduced the range in 1989 the concept was to produce a car that could transport a large family in safety, while keeping with the tradition of excellence off-road that the marque is famous for.
Last year the Discovery 3 made its mark at the Camping and Caravan Club Towcar Awards, taking the award for ‘Best Towcar over 1900 kgs.’ With the Discovery 4 comprising more of an update and revision than a major departure in design, this Land Rover looks set to dominate for a while yet.
Evolution rather than revolution is the nature of the changes to the Discovery range. Upon first glance it appears little has changed from the futuristic all-new design from 2004 . A sleek two-bar silver grille and LED headlights are revisions aimed at creating a tauter, low-slung design for what is a sizeable two and a half tonne car.
The real changes can be found in the structure, interior and engines. Land Rover claim to have used over 1,500 new parts in this extensive re-design – and the key part is the new engine. The previous model carried a 2.7 litre diesel engine which occasionally struggled for performance when overtaking.
Such fears may be banished with the new 3.0-litre V6 diesel which proved popular in the new Jaguar XF and has been sourced for the Discovery 4. Impressive economy blended with strong performance was the praise levelled at the Jaguar, and similar is promised for the Land Rover. A claimed 30mpg and CO2 emissions of 244g/km will make ownership that much easier.
An upgraded suspension and less kerb weight will aid with towing even the mightiest of caravans, while the feted Terrain Response system from the previous model has had a software update. The device alters the set-up of the car’s suspension depending on the surface, a valuable aid for those hoping to pull another vehicle smoothly.
It is the interior which will turn most heads however. There are plenty of new gadgets beginning with a touch-screen multimedia setup similar to those found in Jaguars. Crucially for caravanners, this screen can display video footage from five seperate cameras on the vehicle. This gives a panoramic view around the large car and makes it that much easier to see the position of the caravan, especially when parking.
The Discovery 4 starts from £31,995. More information can be found at www.landrover.co.uk
