The most significant Land Rover in years was launched to the world at Paris 2016, the all-new 2017 Land Rover Discovery 5 and it boasts a number of technological, stylistic, luxurious, economical and practical improvements over the Discovery 4 it replaces.
Perhaps the most significant of these is that the Discovery 5 cuts a whopping 480 kg – or 20% – of the Discovery 4’s weight to sit at just over two tonnes. This allows the Discovery 5 to be available with a four-cylinder turbo diesel for the first time, with combined fuel figures as low as 6.3 litres/100km for the Ingenium 132kW/430Nm Td4.
Up the tree, you’ll discover – pun intended – a higher-output 177kW/500Nm Sd4 version of the same diesel, and a Td6 3.0 litre V6 diesel with 190kW/600Nm. Overseas, 2.0 litre turbo and 3.0 litre supercharged V6 petrols are also available.
The Discovery 5 has been designed from the ground up as a proper 7-seater, seating seven 95th-percentile adults. The interior borrows the Discovery Sport’s its layout and practicality, and takes the Range Rover Sport’s steering wheel and plushness. This is no shock, but the Discovery 5 brings the gap between Land Rover and Range Rover product even closer.
Like the Range Rover Sport, the Discovery 5 incorporates a plethora of technology to keep Land Rover’s increasingly wealthy target families entertained. There’s a new 10-inch InControl Touch Pro touch screen in the centre of the dash, finally with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto capability, and no less than nine USB and six 12V charging points available throughout the car. Even the rearmost seats feature heating – a segment first – and the front and middle row have cooling as well.
On the practical side of things, Land Rover claims up to 1,231 litres fit behind the second row of seats, and up to 2,500 litres with those seats folded. The cabin storage features many hiding holes, including a centre box that can hold up to five tablets. If you’re a fan of action sports, you can also get a Jaguar Land Rover Activity Key which deactivates the key and allows you to leave it locked in the car while the wristband stays on you.
Yet despite all of this new technology and family-friendly equipment, the Discovery 5 doesn’t shy away from the model’s reputation as a serious off-roader. In fact, it’s better than it’s ever been – a maximum ground clearance of 283mm features and its wading capability has been increased to a huge 900mm. It can tow up to 3500 kg.
Air suspension will be standard across the Australian range, and features clever features such as lowering 40mm when you unclip your seatbelt to aid access to the car. High and low range isn’t a standard feature however, you’ll have to dive into the options list for that and you’ll be rewarded with a constant 50:50 torque split.
Land Rover Australia has announced that the Discovery 5 will land in Australia starting from $81,850 plus on-road costs from July 2017.
Words by Jake Williams.
