‘STUPID boy!’ These two words used so disdainfully by Dad’s Army officer-in-command Captain Mainwaring against the hapless young Home Guard volunteer Pike were rattling around in my head as we turned the Land Rover Discovery 4 to the south towards Sydney.
With fuel costs cranking up daily and a 5 litre V8 engine under the bonnet would ailing finances Euro style, or even bankruptcy, be beckoning by the time we reached the harbour city nearly one thousand kilometres down the road?
No worries! Over the journey there and back, by my reckoning, the fuel consumption was 14.3 and 14.1 litres per 100 kilometres respectively. Even at $1.50 a litre there was no wallet warp here. By the way, the car’s trip computer clocked 13.6 litres/100km on the first leg. Even in the CBD, the bulky vehicle at 2.5 tonnes-plus, shunted in and out of traffic as easy as Thomas the Tank Engine under the urging of the Fat Controller. The command driving position, large exterior mirrors, good visibility all round and parking cameras only added to the satisfying big city experience.
With no tundra to speak of, and in the case of Sydney snow or ice even in mid-winter, the Terrain Response system hardly had what you’d call a good workout. In fact the control knob was left well alone. It was a different matter for the satellite navigation which refused to come up with a side street in Sydney’s CBD in which we had arranged a rendezvous with a family member.
Also on the return journey, the sat nav wanted to take us on a tour of the back streets of Ballina instead of sticking to the direct route through town. Still, that should not be a problem soon when the Ballina bypass is completed. On the highway the Discovery 4 V8 was relatively free from external annoyance such as engine and road noise, while the armchair-like leather covered seats and quality material surroundings made for a classy clubby atmosphere.
Perfect for a long trip, stop/start city work and I’m sure almost anything that can be thrown up off road. Not such a ‘stupid boy’ after all.
BODY STYLE
The Land Rover Discovery has continued to evolve over 20 years and four generations but there is still no mistaking the design DNA.
Smoother and simpler surfaces have been worked into the front while sportier looking front lights hint at big brother Range Rover Sport. The rear can be seen in a new light too with LED stop, tail and indicator technology.
A new front bumper features a larger cooling dam to take care of the new engine's greater power output. Unbelievably, the bigger bumper improves aerodynamics by reducing drag through anti-drag 'lips' that help direct airflow around the front wheels.
A new, twin seven-spoke 19in wheel is introduced on Discovery 4 to complement the existing seven-spoker and, for the first time, a new 10-spoke 20in wheel is a factory-fit option.
POWERTRAIN
The new V8 engine was designed entirely in-house by Jaguar Land Rover powertrain engineers. It develops 276kW and 510Nm torque, bettering the existing naturally aspirated 4.4 litre V8 for power and torque by 25 per cent and 16 per cent respectively. Despite the extra grunt, carbon dioxide emissions are seven per cent lower than the V8 4.4 at 328g/km.
The engine is mated with a ZF six-speed automatic transmission combining to deliver fast and smooth response to throttle movement, while performance enhancements low down on the rev range make for reduced slip through the hydraulic torque converter, thus helping with improvements in fuel consumption and CO2 emissions.
Revised suspension architecture, improved steering, larger brakes and enhanced versions of Land Rover's award-winning Terrain Response and Hill Descent Control systems continue the ever evolving voyage of Discovery.
SAFETY
There’s the standard suite of active and passive safety systems on board, while a refined understeer control system now automatically slows the vehicle if taking a bend too fast, giving the driver better control all the way to an emergency stop if needed.
A new, larger brake system has been introduced to cope with the increase in engine power and torque. And now when the vehicle experiences severe or emergency braking, the brake lights flash to reduce the risk of rear-end shunts.
Land Rover's award-winning Terrain Response system that optimises the vehicle set-up for virtually all on-road or off-road driving situations, has been improved, adding to its efficiency in dealing with general driving conditions, grass/gravel/snow, sand, mud and ruts and increasing the vehicle’s ability to crawl over rocks and logs.
INTERIOR DESIGN
Big news to come out of the interior is a significant reduction in the complexity and number of controls to take note of. A new dashboard is turned towards the driver as in the Range Rover Sport, improving visibility and access to the controls.
The Terrain Response knob has been given pride of place up front of the centre console, making way for the cup-holder to be positioned in a more accessible position, mid-way along the console.
A new steering wheel has revised switch layout for driver information, remote audio controls, cruise control and heating for the wheel, while the cabin’s natural-finish timber, along with stitched and wrapped fascia, door casings and centre console, add to a crafted bespoke feel.
I’m not a fan of the tilt/slide glass roof with retractable open-weave fabric blind. It cuts down on insulation, allowing heat from the sun to penetrate the cabin.
DRIVING IMPRESSIONS
As is recorded above time spent driving the Discovery 4 V8 was most agreeable, which is only what you would expect from a vehicle costing more than $120K.
PRICING AND SPECIFICATIONS
Land Rover Discovery 4 5.0 V8, $127,500
Engine: 5 litre V8
Cubic capacity: 5000cc
Bore x Stroke: 92.5mm x 93mm
No. of valves: 32
Max power: 276kW @ 6500rpm
Max torque: 510Nm @ 3500rpm
Ignition system: Denso Generation 1.6
Emission standard (CO2): 328g/km
TRANSMISSION
Six-speed automatic with transfer box
PERFORMANCE
Maximum speed: 195km/h
Acceleration 0-100km/h: 7.9sec
FUEL TANK
Capacity: 86.3 litres
BRAKES
Ventilated discs front and rear
STEERING
Speed sensitive power steering.
Turning circle: 11.45m (kerb to kerb)
WEIGHTS
Kerb weight: 2548kg
Maximum payload: 692kg
Maximum roof load: 75kg
Maximum towing weight: 3500kg (braked), 750kg (unbraked)
DIMENSIONS
Length: 4938mm
Width excluding mirrors: 2022mm
Width including mirrors: 2176mm
Height: 1997mm
Wheelbase: 2985mm
Discovery 5
Boot volume: 2558 litres (seats down); 290 litres (seats up)
Ground clearance - standard height: 185mm
Ground clearance - off road height: 240mm
Ground clearance - maximum height: 310mm
Approach angle - standard height: 32.2deg
Approach angle - off road height: 37.2deg
Ramp angle - standard height: 22.8deg
Ramp angle - off road height: 27.9deg
Departure angle - standard height: 26.7deg
Departure angle - off road height: 29.6deg
Wading depth – maximum: 700mm
CONSUMPTION AND EMISSIONS
City cycle: 19.8l/100km
Highway cycle: 10.7l/100km
Combined cycle: 14.1l/100km
CO2 emissions: 328g/km
|
Print Article
Submit Feedback
Email This Article
