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As a kid growing up in Melbourne I was for ever being chastised for coming home covered in mud. Not much has changed. I still like playing in the dirt. Then it was Tonka toys ... now it is vehicles such as the Land Rover Discovery 4. These days it's usually the car that comes home needing the bath. Unless something goes radically wrong through driver error there's no need for the driver to get his or her hands dirty.
The Disco 4 has the ability to get down and dirty as you like with it highly unlikely the driver will need to get out and push, dig or scrape. It's no secret the Gold Coast has been saturated by rain for weeks and this writer's favourite serious 4WD test tracks are as slippery as an Underbelly crim.
Washouts, deep pools of muddy brown water being fed by rivulets, slippery rocks, smooth clay that when wet reminds one of the sexy pottery scene from Ghost. Just the place to try out the vehicle's Terrain Response system, which is a fancy technical name for a simple 4WD system that allows the driver to set the vehicle up for the prevailing road conditions.
We are reluctant to use the term `idiot proof' when it comes to four wheel driving, but that is possibly the best lay description. There's a dial system using a knob near the gear shifter that has five settings: general driving (tarmac) grass/gravel/snow, sand, mud and ruts and rock crawl. As conditions alter you simply turn the knob to the appropriate settings. The only other choices are high range and low range, hill descent control and body height.
Our road test vehicle was the new LR-TDV6 SE 3.0 litre twin turbo diesel variant, one of three available engines in the 2010 Disco 4. The others are a 5.0 litre naturally-aspirated V8 and the 2.7 litre TDV6 retained as the entry level vehicle for the Australian market. The twin-turbo diesel puts out some impressive figures: 600 Nm of torque and 180 kW of power, up 36 per cent and 29 per cent respectively on the 2.7 litre TDV6.
Between the engine – which has 500 Nm on tap from an incredibly low 500 rpm – and the off-road setting the Discovery brings an impressive array of technology to the battle with off-road conditions. As mentioned our test tracks were super-slippery and in a three kilometre down-and back tests using the `mud and rut' settings remarkably the vehicle did not once lose traction. It felt as sure-footed as a mountain goat. We at least expected some sideway slippage.
Enough of off-road adventures where it is likely this vehicle will rarely visit in the hands of Australian owners. Like most 4WDs the Discovery 4 will spend the majority of its life on the tarmac and it's here Land Rover have made great gains in handling in recent years. They needed to. We found Discovery 4 a little soft and ponderous but totally acceptable once accustomed to the car's characteristics. The off-road ride even lurching from rut to rut is extraordinarily comfortable, so the on-road ride is a compromise.
This is the fourth generation Discovery and the vehicle's history is one of evolution, in particular the ride, body roll and handling which have gone from agricultural in generations one and two to exceptional in generations three and four. While these have been almost monumental, the changes between Disco 3 and 4 are mainly in the form of upgrades, appearance and new technology and features.
The new interior is simpler and easier on the eye and to use. The console now faces the driver and resembles the Range Rover Sport. The much-vaunted Terrain Response control is now forward of the gear shifter and facing upwards making the setting easier to see and select. This opened up a better position for the cup holders. The new steering wheel has a revised switch layout and the usual array of remote controls.
Seating for rows one and two have been replaced and we found them as comfortable as any luxury car. Great support for off-road work. The Disco has connectivity for all the latest gadgetry. Upgrades to the driver information screen, radio, five digital external cameras, new push-button start system ensure the vehicle is up to date with the latest trends in luxury cars.
While we really like the Disco 4 off-road it's on road where most people will notice the difference over the previous model – itself a quantum leap forward for Land Rover. Discovery 4 is a delight, smoothing out corners and the 3.0 litre twin-turbo diesel is simply a cracker in the urban environment. This is not surprising given it's the same engine as fitted to the Jaguar XF.
Our only real complaint with the car is the deployment of the third row of seats that is over-complicated and unwieldy. The designers at Land Rover need to take a look at the simple systems employed in other seven seaters such as Hyundai Sante Fe and Kia Sorento to get an idea just how simple and user-friendly third row seats can be.
VERDICT: Land Rover has it's own niche in the luxury 4WD segment and Discovery 4 continues the brand's evolutionary pursuit of an off-road highly capable vehicle that is just as enjoyable to drive on road.
MODEL RANGE
TDV6 2.7 litre $68,490
TDV6 3.0 litre SE $81,990
TDV6 3.0 litre HSE $94,990
V8 5.0 litre $126,460
FEATURES
ABS Brakes: standard
Air Conditioning: standard
Automatic Transmission: standard
CD Player: standard
Central Locking: standard
Cruise Control: standard
Dual Front Airbags: standard
Front Side Airbags: standard
Stability Control: standard
Traction Control: standard
SPECIFICATIONS ()
ENGINE:
Capacity: 2.993 litres
Configuration: V6
Head Design: 24 valve
Compression Ratio: 16:1
Bore/Stroke: 84.0 mm x 90.0 mm
Maximum Power: 180 kW @ 4000 rpm
Maximum Torque: 600 Nm @ 2000 rpm
DRIVELINE:
Driven Wheels: 4WD
Manual Transmission: N/A
Automatic Transmission: Six speed
Final Drive Ratio: 3.540:1
DIMENSIONS, WEIGHT AND CAPACITIES:
Length: 4838 mm
Wheelbase: 2885 mm
Width: 2176 mm(mirrors out) 2022mm (mirrors in)
Height: 1887 mm
Turning Circle: 11.45 metres
Kerb Mass: 2583 kg
Fuel Tank Capacity: 82.3 litres
Towing Ability: 3500 kg (kg with braked trailer)
SUSPENSION AND BRAKES:
Suspension: Cross linked air suspension with load levelling and multiple height settings
Front Brakes: ventilated disc
Rear Brakes: ventilated disc
PERFORMANCE:
0-100 km/h Acceleration: 9.6 seconds
FUEL CONSUMPTION:
Type: diesel
Combined Cycle (ADR 81/01): 11.2 L/100km
GREEN VEHICLE GUIDE RATINGS:
Greenhouse Rating: 5/10
Air Pollution Rating: 3/10
STANDARD WARRANTY:
3 years/ 100,000 km |
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