Land Rover
Its predecessor saved the company in times of turmoil - and now Land Rover is fitter than ever, the all-new Discovery looks set to be an even bigger sensation. It's by far the most significant car in Landie's recent history. Not since the Freelander has the Solihull manufacturer introduced a new model with quite as much riding on its reputation - the Discovery's development costs have been colossal.
There's no denying that the new Discovery is one of the best SUVs around. Fresh, unique and very competent, it will fly out of Land Rover dealers. But don't expect ownership to come cheap - it might be an impressive machine, but if you want to get your hands on one, you'll have to dig deep.
Its predecessor saved the company in times of turmoil - and now Land Rover is fitter than ever, the all-new Discovery looks set to be an even bigger sensation. It's by far the most significant car in Landie's recent history. Not since the Freelander has the Solihull manufacturer introduced a new model with quite as much riding on its reputation - the Discovery's development costs have been colossal.
To see if the newcomer lives up to Land Rover's claim that it's the most advanced 4x4 ever, we got behind the wheel of an early production model.
Dubbed Discovery 3 in the UK, and LR3 in the US, where it's expected to enjoy the lion's share of its sales success, the latest incarnation is an entirely new beast. And it looks totally different to its predecessor. With Range Rover-style lights and lots of flat surfaces, it's controversial, but definitely imposing.
Where the outgoing car employed a simple ladder frame chassis and basic construction, the new Discovery represents a huge advance. Its body uses a completely new build method known as Integrated Body Frame, which mixes the strength of ladder frame construction with the simplicity of a monocoque to ensure good levels of refinement and impressive interior packaging.
Land Rover says this gives greater body control on tarmac, without compromising the Discovery's off-road ability. And when you take to the road, it's immediately evident. This model is light years ahead of its predecessor in terms of ride and handling, and while it doesn't offer quite the compliance or comfort of the Range Rover, it's still one of the most dynamically capable 4x4s on sale.
Yet with air-suspension, adjustable ride height and Land Rover's new Terrain Response system, which allows the driver to configure the four-wheel drive specifically for different types of off-road surfaces, it's more competent than ever over rough, slippery or sandy ground.
We drove the top-of-the-range HSE model, which is expected to come close to Range Rover territory in its pricing. Cheaper versions will start at around £28,000, and will feature more basic equipment and steel springs.
Inside, the new Disco is a masterpiece of design. It boasts a stylish dashboard and a bank of chunky switches mounted in the centre console. However, some of the plastics let the car down slightly, with a harsh, brittle feel that doesn't sit well with the price tag.
Still, the Landie scores on practicality. Not only is it big on the outside, it's also huge inside, with seating for seven. The cabin is versatile, too. The third row of chairs folds into the rear as in Vauxhall's Zafira. And when you drop the second row, the parcel shelf slots in between the two sets of folded seats, giving a flat area that's more than two metres long.
The 2.7-litre V6 diesel is based on the Jaguar S-Type D, but while the Cat features two turbos, the Disco has only one. Performance isn't sensational, yet power delivery is smooth enough and, with 445Nm of torque at only 1,900rpm, there's lots of off-road grunt. The unit is a vast improvement over the old Td5 in terms of refinement, too, giving the 4x4 better motorway manners than before.
Our only concerns surround the pricing. At an expected £43,000, the TDV6 HSE is incredibly expensive - and in our book, that makes it not so much a Disco as an upmarket dinner-dance...
