2017 Land Rover Discovery

For the first time since it was launched way back in 1989, the Land Rover Discovery has done away with the boxy shape that defined it for more than two decades.

However, while the new Discovery takes on those design cues shared by the smaller Discovery Sport and the on-road biased Range Rover Sport, it retains that astounding off-road capability for which it’s renowned.

With its air suspension raised, the new Discovery has a ground clearance of 283mm, which compares to the Land Cruiser 200 Series at 220mm. It can also wade through water up to 900mm deep. In fact, what limits the Discovery’s ability to wade through water is its tendency to float at the rear.

Further, even if it does go a little deeper than recommended, the Discovery is able to extract water from the air intake to minimise engine damage.

But the most notable aspect about the new Discovery is the tremendous reduction in the vehicle’s weight when compared with the previous model. The new one is a whopping 480kg lighter than its equivalent predecessor.

The dramatic slim-down is due to Land Rover’s extensive use of aluminium in the vehicle’s monocoque architecture, as well as other light materials such as the composite tailgate.

The all-alloy Ingenium diesel engines also contribute to the added lightness, which in turn benefits the Disco’s performance and efficiency.

For example, the entry level Discovery Td4 S with the 2.0-litre, 132kW/430Nm engine weighs 2.1 tonnes, and yet in the combined cycle it uses only 6.3L/100km. A Toyota Corolla uses more petrol than that.

Pricing starts at $72,400 drive away for the Td4 S, but Land Rover reckons the biggest selling variant will be the Sd4 SE, which has a 177kW/500Nm version of the 2.0-litre turbo diesel and will cost $93,800 drive away.

If that’s still not enough, there’s the Td6, which has 190kW and 600Nm. But unless you’re towing something really big, the performance of the Sd4’s 500Nm is ample, especially given the vehicle’s lighter weight.

The fit and finish of the Discovery is neat and luxurious, although seven seats aren’t standard and you’ll need to spend extra for those.