Rating
Quick Summary
Highly recommended. Updated Discovery addresses the old model's shortcomings and makes it an undisputed class-leader.
Road Test
The latest Land Rover Discovery 4 is an extensively upgraded version of the old car, with an improved engine, plusher interior and a mild facelift among the changes.
Most of the work has taken place beneath the Discovery 4's skin, including an enlarged engine: the V6 diesel remains, but it's now been bored out to 3.0-litres, producing 242bhp. However, it's still capable of an impressive 30.4mpg, making it both more powerful and more efficient than the old model.
The engine's extra dose of torque helps not only in its off-road guise but also transforms the Discovery's ability to sweep past slower traffic on motorways and A-roads, where the old model often struggled.
There are sportier large SUVs on the market, but the latest Discovery offers a more polished drive than its predecessor, due to Land Rover extensively upgrading the suspension system to improve its on-road performance. It corners in a nimbler fashion than the old model, partly because it weighs less, but mainly because it's been set up to stay flat through the twisty bits, giving the driver more feel and confidence.
Off-road, the Discovery has always been very capable indeed, but Land Rover has taken that further with improved Terrain Response software, which alters the set-up of the car depending on the surface you're on. We tried it out in Scotland and can happily report the Discovery is more capable off road than it will ever need to be for most owners.
It still won't be cheap to run, but its new combined fuel economy figure is a big step forward, thanks to the diesel engine's ability when it comes to unexpectedly impressive economy blended with strong performance.
In the cabin, 1,500 new parts give a much more sumptuous feel, but still as sturdy and workaday as we expect from a Land Rover. There's been a slight price hike to pay for these improvements - the Disco starts from around £33,000 - but it could well be worth it.
The new interior also makes this latest Discovery a very pleasing place to spend time, and means it's more than capable of munching many motorway miles. There are loads of new toys too, including an impressive touchscreen multimedia system, five parking cameras (supposedly for off-roading but more useful for parking this large car), dual-zone climate control, heated seats all round and a top-of-the-range sat nav. It's also quieter in the cabin, with wind and tyre roar kept pleasingly muted.
However, the packaging of its interior could be better - taller drivers will still feel slightly cramped into the footwell and, although it alters for reach and rake, the steering wheel doesn't have the range of adjustment we would need to find a really comfy driving position.
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