Land Rover Discovery 4

Land Rover is a legendary British brand, rivalling the Jeep from the United States for its rugged off road capability.

Even the boxy yet stylish shape, like it's American counterpart, has changed very little over the years.

It's chunky and purposeful, and vastly better appointed and more capable than its predecessors.

 In the past there were build quality issues,but the new generation is light years from the early efforts.

The latest version I drove is absolutely one of the most comfortable 4WD I have driven.

The three litre turbodiesel V6 has effortless thrust, and is one of the quietest in its class.

During a week of mainly urban driving the fuel consumption ranged from under 8 litres per 100 kays to around 10.  

The Disovery shares the same rising circular gear selector knob as the Jaguar XF, but I prefer the traditional lever.

That aside, operation of the new 8 speed autobox was smooth and faultless.. paddles on the steering column, easy and instantly effective when required.

There's real no need for the sport mode in the new gearbox,as the torque is huge, even when left in D, the Disco leaps forward under full throttle, belying it's 2700 kilogram weight,when 180 kw and 600 nm of torque hits the road..

A multitude of off road electronic wizardry sets the car up for any driving angle or surface.

The  height challenged will find it a bit of a struggle to get in however, the seat height is somewhat of a barrier.

A side step would be a good option for shorter occupants.

Inside, the Discovery oozes quality from the stitched leather dashboard, to the clear and concise instrument layout. The seats are great for long hauls.

Visibility is spectacular ..you sit high wide and handsome (as they say in the western classics.)

The glasshouse is enormous and there are no blind spots. Pleasingly the rear windows retract fully into the doors.

No heated seats or reversing camera was a disappointment.

But there are reversing sensors

There's no keyless entry,

The fob button is needed to open and lock the car , but starting is keyless, via a fascia button.

Curiously at this price point, the sun visor mirrors are not illuminated.

There's a standard navigation screen that also handles other options for various settings and it worked well.

Daytime running lights can only be activated at a dealership for some reason.. maybe some markets don't allow them. When on however, they show a distinctive front signature for the Discovery.

My test car was finished in smart copper/gold paint and had high gloss black alloys .. a tough but sophisticated look.

The Disco has seven seats.... the rear two folding flat for an enormous cargo area.

The Discovery is one rung below its sibling the Range Rover , but is the equal in upmarket design and luxury.

The Discovery is the world's most awarded four wheel drives and it's easy to see why.

If you have a budget for an off roader that starts around 70K, this could be the one that proves the most satisfying.
Peter Sellen.