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THE BEST VS THE REST
There aren’t too many vehicles that dominate their class in quite such an imperious manner as the Land Rover Discovery 3. Andy Enright reports on the latest version

Not too hard, this one. If you want the best family 4x4 around, buy a Land Rover Discovery 3. Nothing else really gets close to matching the Disco’s all-round abilities. Get it off road and it’s just jaw-droppingly capable. Faults? It’s not quick and emissions are so-so. Otherwise it’s an almost flawless performance.

There was always something endearing about older Land Rover Discovery models. On virtually any objective calculation, they were way off the pace but the way they managed to triumph over considerable adversity was almost Shackletonesque. Fortunately, the new generation Discovery 3 hasn’t needed to rely on the British admiration for stiff upper lips to do well, winning over 100 international awards as well as our own ‘4x4 of the Year’ award twice. The Discovery 3 was designed as new from the ground up and boasts enough technology and design savvy to punt all of its rivals clean off the map. It overwhelms through its sheer brilliance. The latest version has been facelifted but you’d have to be quite a fan of the marque to really notice the changes. That’s actually intentional. The old MK2 Discovery, after all, had a whole series of far-reaching facelifts, none of which did residual values much good. Discovery 3 buyers fare much better in this respect and the Solihull company is keen not to change things. Thanks to Ford’s money bankrolling the design process, this car really does represent a true no expense-spared bid to build the best possible family 4x4. With the Range Rover commanding serious money, this Discovery has needed to stretch up into a much more exalted marketplace than its predecessor, with dealers confidently charging premium prices for a premium quality product. If you appreciate choice when it comes to engine selection, you’re going to disappointed. There’s only one powerplant on offer, but it’s a good ‘un. The 2.7-litre V6 diesel that Jaguar developed in conjunction with Peugeot is fitted to the Discovery and it’s a high tech unit constructed from compacted graphite iron (CGI) to ensure outstanding strength, durability and above all low weight. All models of course feature full time four wheel drive and surprisingly sprightly on-road performance.

"No other vehicle is so adept at marrying the two often conflicting demands of capability off road and refinement on road…."

There’s the option of a six-speed automatic gearbox with ‘intelligent shift’ as an alternative to the more conventional six-speed manual transmission and we’d recommend you pay the extra for it. Due to its massive weight, the Discovery 2.7 V6 isn’t particularly quick. It’ll get to 60mph from rest in a leisurely 12.5 seconds and run on to a top speed of 109mph. Fully independent suspension all round and an Integrated Body-frame structure is twinned with air suspension on most models. This is height adjustable to assist entry and exit and to boost ground clearance when off roading. Guaranteed to provoke curiosity is Land Rover’s patented Terrain Response system. This is virtually akin to having an expert sitting alongside you, helping to get the best out of the vehicle, on or off road. The driver chooses one of five terrain settings via a rotary knob mounted on the centre console. There’s a general driving programme plus one for slippery conditions (dubbed ‘grass/gravel/snow’) and three specialist off road modes (mud/ruts, sand, rock crawl). Let’s start with the latest changes. There’s a re-profiled body-coloured front bumper and revised body-coloured rear bumpers and wheel arches. The distinctive, asymmetric two-piece tailgate now comes with body coloured tailgate lift handle and the attention to detail continues with the revised 'tungsten' coloured side vent, 'tungsten' door handles, and clear-lens side repeaters across the range. A smarter 19-inch 7-spoke wheel style and three new exterior metallic paint colours (Santorini Black, Galway Green and Bournville) complete the exterior changes. Interior upgrades include a new ‘almond’ trim colour and an updated Bluetooth system. Unambiguously a Land Rover product, the Discovery looks like a Range Rover from the front and a Freelander on growth hormone from the side – no bad combination. Most importantly, it does a good job of refreshing the brand’s styling without diluting the look and feel. Assymetric styling is a key theme. The rear tailgate is styled in this way and there’s an air intake on one side of the car but not on the other. With typical economy, Land Rover claim that’s all that was needed. An optional third row of seats is available with fold flat functionality in both the second and third rows, giving the Discovery some serious load lugging abilities. Prices start at £29,950. The old 4.4-litre BMW-sourced petrol engine that only 10% of buyers previously opted for in this car is long dead, but there is a wide range of trim levels above the base model (which only comes with five seats). The seven seat models start with the GS variant above which sit XS, SE and HSE models. The five seat entry-level car comes with features such as 17-inch alloy wheels, anti-lock brakes, electronic brake assist which supplies extra brake pressure in an emergency, and electronic traction control which helps maintain optimum grip. This includes climate control, rear parking sensors and the option of bi-xenon headlights. XS trim adds features like cruise control, sat nav and 18 inch alloys, while those that go for the SE get an adaptive automatic gearbox, heated front seats and screen, front parking sensors and riotzier aloys. The top spec HSE features 19-inch rims, bi-xenon lights, heated seats all round and a premium voice operated navigation system with hybrid TV. The diesel engine fitted to the Discovery might be one of the more advanced units of its ilk but it’s a relatively small capacity unit to power a vehicle of this size and weight and fuel consumption will suffer if you try to get from A to B at a decent clip. The average fuel figure of 30.7mpg is fairly respectable but few will replicate this on a long term basis. Our long term vehicle returned an average of just over 26mpg. Residual values, on the other hand, are excellent, buyers being fully clued in as to what a great all rounder the Discovery is and a GS model will hold fully 52 per cent of its new value three years down the road compared to 46 per cent for an equivalent Jeep Grand Cherokee diesel. Insurance is group 13 for most models, with the two top trim levels being rated at group 14. Emissions aren’t standout at 244g/km, tipping it into a very expensive bracket for company car buyers. Small wonder that the vast majority of Discovery sales come from private customers. Most big 4x4s make very little sense if you plan to drive them solely on tarmac. Most of the time you’d be better served with a decent full-sized saloon or MPV if you need space and great ride quality. The Land Rover Discovery is so good it almost warrants recommendation regardless of its ability in the mud but it’s when you put it through its paces in properly extreme terrain that the genius – and that’s not a word to be used lightly – in its design becomes apparent. No other vehicle is so adept at marrying the two often conflicting demands of capability off road and refinement on road. Not even a Range Rover manages that compromise quite as elegantly as the Discovery 3. Its rivals are torn up, spat out and ground into the dirt and since this Discovery first appeared in 2004, many manufacturers have just given up in order to concentrate on easier pickings. Drive a Discovery and you’ll appreciate why.

Facts At A Glance CAR: Land Rover Discovery 3 range PRICES: £29,950 -£45,000 [approx] - on the road INSURANCE GROUPS: 13-14 CO2 EMISSIONS: 244g/km PERFORMANCE: Max Speed 109mph / 0-60mph 12.5s FUEL CONSUMPTION: (urban) 24.5mpg / (extra urban) 34.5mpg / (combined) 30.0mpg STANDARD SAFETY FEATURES: Driver's airbag, ABS WILL IT FIT IN YOUR GARAGE?: Length/Width/Heightmm 4835/1915/1891

DISCO HEAVER
After a 4x4 commercial vehicle? Land Rover’s Discovery3 Commercial is as good as it gets but this kind of capability doesn’t come cheap. Steve Walker reports…

There’s not much to touch a Land Rover product when it comes to tackling the kind of arduous off-road driving conditions some commercial operators routinely face in this country. That’s why so many farmers, forest Rangers and estate managers, not to mention the armed forces, wouldn’t countenance going to work in anything less that a Defender. Unfortunately, the utilitarian 1940s design of Land Rover’s back to basics mud-plugger means it isn’t the most comfortable companion on the road. If you want genuine all-terrain performance from a commercial vehicle, the Discovery 3 Commercial is a milder-mannered option that’s no compromise when the going gets tough.

The price tag will instantly put many businesses right off the idea with list values for this van conversion of the Land Rover Discovery 3 peppering the £30,000 mark. It certainly isn’t cheap when you consider the going rate for a well-specified pick-up truck or for commercial versions of other 4x4 passenger cars but you’ve got to remember the kind of capability you’re getting with the Discovery3 Commercial. It’s one of the most expensive light commercial vehicles you can buy full stop but choosing the cheaper alternative only looks the shrewd move until you get stuck in a swamp and have the long walk back to civilisation over which to think about what you should have done. The Discovery3 Commercial looks much the same as an entry-level Discovery3 passenger car from the outside but behind the trademark angular exterior lines and that imposing front end, a series of modifications have been made to render it suitable for commercial usage. The rear seats have been completely removed and the space behind the driver and front passenger is levelled off to form a flat load floor. The total available load space comes to 2.1m3 which isn’t a huge amount of room given the Discovery’s substantial dimensions but is still significantly more than you’ll get in established car-derived vans like Vauxhall’s Astravan. If you need more carrying capacity, the Discovery is well capable of pulling it. With a 3.5 tonne maximum towing weight, there aren’t many trailers it can’t handle.

"Most owners will never get close to the Discovery’s limits"

The load area is accessed through the lifting tailgate or via the side-hinged rear doors which aren’t ideally shaped for loading larger items but offer useful kerbside entry-points nevertheless. A two piece bulkhead separates the Discovery Commercial’s occupants from its cargo to improve safety and security is boosted by the rear privacy glass which prevents prying eyes from sizing up whatever it is you’re carrying in the back. Power comes from Land Rover’s 2.7-litre TDV6 diesel engine which has both the power to haul you out of difficult off-road situations and the composure to enhance the Disco’s impressive refinement on the road. The engine develops 190bhp at 4,000rpm and a strong 440Nm of torque at 1,900rpm. When accelerating up to speed, the Discovery Commercial’s 2.6 tonne kerb weight makes itself felt but it will still seem quick to commercial operators used to pick-up trucks or virtually any other 4x4 van you care to mention. The 0-60mph sprint takes just over 11 seconds but the Discovery is at its most beguiling when you’ve got it up to cruising speed. Here performance is hushed with very little by way of engine or wind noise finding its way into the cab. You can breeze through long journeys in this van with the air suspension laying on a cosseting ride that remains remarkably composed even when you turn off the main thoroughfares and take to the country lanes. You can always feel where the extra money goes in the Discovery in comparison to cruder 4x4 commercial vehicles. Whether businesses want to spend it may depend on whether or not it’s the person who signs the cheques who will be doing the driving. The issue of running costs will be almost as sticky as that of price for operators trying justify the purchase of a Discovery Commercial. The combined fuel economy of 30mpg isn’t stellar and neither is the 244g/km CO2 emissions figure. Specify the optional automatic gearbox, another outstanding piece of engineering on Land Rover’s part, and those values decrease further to 28mpg and 270g/km. The Discovery Commercial comes into its own off-road in the kinds of conditions that will leave rival products floundering and that’s largely thanks to Land Rover’s patented Terrain Response system. This is virtually akin to having an expert sitting alongside you, helping to get the best out of the vehicle, on or off road. The driver chooses one of five terrain setttings via a rotary knob mounted on the centre console. There’s a general driving programme plus one for slippery conditions (dubbed ‘grass/gravel/snow’) and three specialist off road modes (mud/ruts, sand, rock crawl). The system will then automatically select the optimum setup for the electronic controls and the traction aids. This encompasses ride height, torque response, hill descent control, electronic traction control and transmission settings. Most owners will never get close to the Discovery’s limits but knowing you have this kind of cabability in reserve is invaluable when you rely on your off-road vehicle to get the job done. Two trim levels are offered and in line with the Discovery’s general sophistication and upmarket feel, even the standard one is very generous. 17" alloy wheels are fitted along with the electronic parking brake, dynamic stability control, four channel all-terrain ABS, Brake Assist and Active Roll Mitigation. The plusher XS models gain, 18" alloys, roof rails, a stereo upgrade, air-conditioning, the invaluable heated front screen, parking sensors and power folding mirrors. Is the Land Rover Discovery3 Commercial the best 4x4 commercial vehicle currently available? You’d have to say that it is and by quite some margin. The cost will undoubtedly put it well beyond the means of many businesses, particularly when Land Rover’s own Defender, still the default choice for those who need a really tough off-road working vehicle, is significantly cheaper and the glut of 4x4 pick-ups are more affordable again. If you’re hoping to persuade your fleet manager to part with the cash for a Discovery3 commercial, it may pay to remind him that the vehicle’s is virtually as good as a Defender off-road and massively superior on it. The striking Discovery will also serve as a much better promotional tool sign-written with your company logo. In the end though, one suspects that most Disco 3 Commercial sales will go to owner operators who don’t mind paying for the best because they’re the ones who are going to be driving it.

Facts At A Glance CAR: Land Rover Discovery3 Commercial Range CO2 EMISSIONS: 244-270g/km PERFORMANCE: Max Speed 112mph / 0-60mph 11.2s FUEL CONSUMPTION: [manual] (urban) 24.5mpg / (extra urban) 34.9mpg / (combined) 30.7mpg STANDARD SAFETY FEATURES: Driver's airbag, ABS, EBA. LOAD VOLUME: 2.1m3