Land Rover Discovery 2017

The Simpson Desert is a seriously tough and remote bit of real estate, and a few people have traversed the challenge in numerous vehicles.  It’s these sort of Outback challenges that have made Land Rover what it is today.  Probably the model for Land Rover that really put them in the formidable 4×4 category was the Land Rover Defender.  From the Defender’s capability birthed the new Discovery model that came into production back in the late-eighties.  After almost thirty years of Land Rover Discovery models, the latest Land Rover Discovery model has just recently rolled off Australian Land Rover dealerships.

Making fibs of Newton’s laws of Physics, the 2017 Land Rover Discovery is remarkable off the beaten track and wallowing around in the mud or sand; take your pick.  But the real trump card Land Rover has discovered is that the new Discovery 4×4 SUV is equally happy traversing the city streets – and is liked by many of its owners for the comfortable, spacious cruising ability that the Discovery provides families and groups of people.  Off-road prowess is definitely a feature, but the urbanite community love the new Discovery for it softer, practical touches as well.

Being a seven seater SUV, this Land Rover Discovery has awesome seating comfort and luggage capacity, so taking kids to sports meets, taking a family holiday or heading out to coffee with work colleagues is effortless and easy.  Gradually shedding its rugged looks with each new model, the Discovery now appears very smooth and refined.  But don’t be fooled, behind the nice looks this new 4×4 has all the technology and mechanicals for superior off-road antics.  Even if you never end up using the technology, it’s always nice to know it’s totally 4×4 ready.

2017 Discovery models are based on the all-aluminium architecture of the new Range Rovers.  Still weighing in at 2.2 tonnes, the Discovery is no lightweight; however managing to lose 480 kg with the new body is a significant achievement.  This weight loss is thanks to the all-aluminium body structure.  On the road, this weight (or lack of weight) equates to some really solid, relaxed touring.  You are very comfortably accommodated inside the new Discovery, and you could easily think the vehicle was made more as a GT ride but without the scary speeds.  Lighter and grippier, the new Land Rover Discovery can be shoved through the corners in haste with reassuring aplomb.  At speed the Discovery remains rock solid.

Land Rover Discovery Interior 2017

Techies will appreciate the high level of equipment that comes as standard on even the S models.  There is a big 8-inch touch screen in the centre of the dash fascia which can connect you with off-road antics, satellite navigation and live streaming audio to name a few.  Spend a little more cash and the 8 becomes a 10-inch touchscreen.  Air suspension means that the ride height changes according to the off-road and on-road challenges that arise.  Electronic throttle control, braking systems, traction control and engine mapping silently work toward gaining maximum traction in all weather conditions and terrain types.  There’s even All Terrain Progress Control which is a type of off-road cruise control.

Land Rover Discovery 2017

Electronically adjustable seats are really comfortable even after hours on the road, and there are cooling and heating options available too.  The interior is a special treat.  Five seater varieties are available but why not go for the full seven – just cause you can!  And this isn’t five seats for adults + two seats for kids; all seven are good for adult sizes.  The second row seats get 954 mm of legroom, while third row occupants still get a very useful 851 mm.  Stadium seating hasn’t hurt the Disco’s aerodynamics at all; in fact this model is 15 percent more slippery through the air than the previous model.  Luggage capacity is huge, and there is excellent versatility with third row seats splitting and folding individually.  Second row seats also split fold and offer reclining comfort.  If all the rear seats are flat, there is a total of 2406 litres for carrying cargo.  Heated seats are available for all seating positions and you can even have headrest-mounted television screens.  Only the S model comes with cloth seats; every other model has full leather trim.

Land Rover Discovery Interior 2017

Land Rover has equipped the new Discovery with the latest ZF eight-speed which works like clockwork and is as smooth as a baby’s bum.  It doesn’t matter whether the Disco is working hard off-road or gunning through the gates on the motorway, the experience is oh-so smooth.  Nice work!

Then there is the matter of engine choice.  The 2017 Land Rover Discovery has three motors to choose from.  A 2.0-litre Td4 Ingenium diesel is the smallest Disco engine, with 132 kW and 430 Nm standard.  You should be able to return an average fuel economy figure of under 7 litres/100 km with this engine.

The 2.0 litre Sd4 Ingenium diesel provides a healthy 177 kW of power and 500 Nm of torque.  Smooth power and refined cruising makes this a very enjoyable motor.

Finally, the 3.0 litre Td6 diesel is the most powerful engine in the range, offering an extra pair of cylinders for even smoother more powerful performance; and with 600 Nm available between 1750-and-2250 rpm, this has serious grunt.  Peak power for this model is 190 kW.  In TD6 guise, a 0-100 km/h dash can be performed in a little over eight seconds, while a top speed of well over 200 km/h is easily attainable.  With all this power and torque you would think that the average fuel consumption of 7.2 litres is some sort of mistake but, no, you can easily get under the 8 litres/100 km on a regular basis with the TD6.  As yet, in Australia we haven’t got the other engine choice of a 3.0-litre V6 petrol which is available in the UK.  Maybe that will arrive in the near future.

The 2017 Land Rover Discovery is posh but not in an intimidating way like you’d find a Range Rover, Mercedes GLS or Audi Q7 might be.  If you love a special ride that boasts formidable off-road capability, the new Land Rover Discovery might just be the one for you.

Land Rover Discovery 2017

The current 2017 Land Rover Discovery models include the:

• Discovery S
• Discovery SE
• Discovery HSE
• Discovery HSE Luxury
• Discovery First Edition

For any more information on the latest Land Rover Discovery models or, for that matter, any other new car, contact one of our friendly consultants on 1300 303 181.  If you’d like some fleet discount pricing (yes even for private buyers!), we can submit vehicle quote requests out to our national network of Land Rover dealers and come back with pricing within 24 hours.  Private Fleet – car buying made easy!