the Bucket: Bucket Seat: Land Rover Discovery 3.0D

Recently the JLR holding company went through re-branding of the JLR of its various sub companies and brands. This trend follows through to the Land Rover stable where there is distinct differences between the various models and sub-brands that differentiates between the hardcore off-roading models, the mixture of luxury and off-roading, the leisure type vehicles and the ultra luxury categories. Upon my recent visit to Cape Town, Land Rover South Africa let me spend time with the revised Discovery 5 model, it was the first time I got behind the wheel of the new Discovery and while the change from the Disco 4 to the 5 was quite drastic, I was keen to see if it still offered that mixtures of off-roading and comfort that the previous models built the Discovery reputation on.

DESIGN

Ever since the Disco 5 broke cover in 2017, many were not too happy at how it looked. It's basically a longer version of the Discovery Sport, credit to Land Rover, they did try to pay homage to the Discovery name by offsetting the number plate holder in the back to mimic the older models but this was done because of the spare tyre, now that the spare is located under the car, this exercise seems a bit pointless no? The revised model which is out now see's subtle changes that makes the car look much better than the launch model, small editions like the revised Matrix LED headlights upfront, the R-Dynamic Sports trim and more smoother lines make the Disco 5 look much more pleasing on the eye. The model I had was the Metropolitan Edition in Eiger Grey, with black contrast roof with sliding front sunroof and fixed rear panoramic roof. It came fitted with 22-inch Diamond Turned rims with gloss dark grey contrast that add to that sporty look. While the car is rather large, the curves does help give the illusion that it's not as big as it really is. The side profile and rear of the car remain unchanged with slight modifications to the wheel arches and updated LED lights, the number plate is still mounted to the side but I don't mind it to be honest, keeps that Disco heritage going. The interior is laid out fantastically, fitted with all the new toys that you would find in all of their new models with a few more for this model.

PERFORMANCE

With a weight of 2,315kg's, you'd expect quite a powerful power plant and you would be right, the Discovery came with a 3.0D V6 that produces 221kW and a torque rating of 650Nm, enough pulling power to tow up to 3,500kgs with a full load. It's a big vehicle so on the road driving could feel cumbersome at first but doesn't take long to getting used to, plus with all the driving aids like lane departure warning, as well as lane keep assist, multiple cameras, collision detection, adaptive cruise control and the list goes on, it makes driving he Discovery pretty simple, no matter what environment and terrain you find yourself in. Building up speed on the freeway isn't an issue due to the high torque value, cruising speeds ensure that you keep your average consumption in check. Urban driving was pretty similar, the diesel engine in the Discovery is just sublime and I cannot fault it at all. Seeing I was in the scenic Cape, I did some exploring with the Discovery, the capabilities of it are endless.

Fitted with electronic air suspension, the transition from tar to gravel is effortless with the car automatically picking up the change in terrain and raising the suspension, going onto harder gravel, a turn on the selector to change the terrain response is all that you need. The car comes with all the off-road assists such as ETC, GAC, RSC, CBC and EPAS, most importantly DSC and EDB. I know I just rattled a bunch of acronyms to you but if you have decent knowledge of 4x4ing, it shouldn't be anything new to you. The steering response is great and extremely accurate. After spending some time exploring the gravel roads around Franschhoek, it was time to see how it handled the Pass and I've driven many sports cars on that road but I was pleasantly surprised by the capabilities of this massive SUV as it just tore through the twists and bends, making mince meat of what would be quite a handful for most big cars.

COMFORT

I can't even begin to tell you about the level of comfort in the Discovery, lets put it this way, the 3rd row seating which is electronically control has heated seats, yes, the 3rd row seating has heated seats! The drive and front passenger get heated and ventilated seats along with a whole command center for the four-zone climate control. That panel has a neat trick as it drops down to open a secret storage compartment. The driver gets a multi-function steering wheel that has heating function, the instrument cluster is an interactive fully digital screen, and the car has a large 11.4-inch touch screen infotainment center that has mobile apps built-in. The center storage doubles as a cooler so you can keep your water bottles chilled on a long road trip. Cabin has mood lighting which sets a nice tone to it at night. Space is of utmost importance in the Discovery and the second row seats gets plenty of it. These seats also get heating functionality, like the 3rd row and have their own dual zone climate control settings. There are plenty of 12V sockets in the cabin with USB ports for charging phones, there is also a wireless charging station. The tow bar is electronically deployed from the boot and you will also find switches for dropping or raising both the second and the third row seats in the cabin. This makes for much easier loading. The tailgate which is also gesture control splits with a small bench that drops at the bottom, loading space with the third row up is 291mm but when it dropped extends to 986mm or 1,231-litres.

VEDICT

I was wrong about the Discovery, I thought the newer model didn't do justice to its predecessors but after spending some time with it, it does all that and a whole lot more. While the interior is super luxurious and has all the latest technology you can think of in cars of today, it still maintains that true off-roading heritage that we all know and love. Whether its being used for picking up the kids after sports practice or traversing around the mountain side, the Discovery is more than capable of any challenge it faces. Some might frown upon the cross pollination from various brands but I think JLR have done well with adapting some of the Jaguar's plushness and luxury into the Land Rover stable and it makes a huge difference when it comes to putting out a premium package like this. The quality of materials, build quality and tech showcased in the Disco 5 is second to none its segment, truly a remarkable vehicle from the brand.