Land Rover Discovery 2009 Review

Legends are created by vehicles like the Land Rover in much the same way that John Wayne became an icon in the never-ending television war between cowboys and Indians.

John Wayne would now roll in his grave. The Indians have taken the legend and are ready to make it their own. No, not John Wayne and the cowboys — the Land Rover.

There's an expectation that things would change as Land Rover's new owner, the giant Tata conglomerate of India, starts exercising its rights of ownership.

But it's early days. Land Rover is reputed to be a better company over the past few months as Tata peers into its more recent quality issues.

Something must be working because Land Rover agents report almost non-existent warranty issues with the most recent Discovery 3.

That's welcome news because about the only hiccup I had with Land Rover was its perceived lack of quality. Go back a decade or two and we're talking rubbish quality.

On test this issue, the latest Discovery TDV6 SE showed the past issues have been purged.

This is simply a brilliant 4WD that is equally as composed and assured in the dirt as on the road.

Models and pricing

For the price — $75,990 — it is a whopping $8000 cheaper than the Toyota Land Cruiser GXL V8 turbo-diesel and it's a better vehicle. I wouldn't have said that 10 years ago.

The S version that sits under the SE is $67,590 as an automatic and is just as inviting as the SE though probably better suits the family that will actually go bush.

You can then pay $86,590 for the even more upmarket HSE but you'd be better off going to the $90,900 Range Rover Sport TDV6. Exterior:

There is no mistake that if this is parked in a supermarket carpark, on a private school verge or halfway up the Canning Stock Route, that this is a serious 4WD.

It's functional to the point of being military and yet there's something domesticated about it as well. Look how there's no spare tyre on the back door (it's under the chassis rails) so the shape is uncluttered.

Think about a plastic roo bar for this one, even if it's just to save that blunt 1sq.m of plastic nose that is just dying to crumple up against a tree in the desert, Skippy's great grandson or the tight Turn 6 in the city carpark.

Interior

Inside it's equally as neat. Functionality meets subtle luxury in a cabin that, in the TDV6 SE tested, includes leather and lots of pastel hues with alloy-look trim pieces and interesting arrays of switches and knobs. Kids would have a ball in here (just don't give them the keys).

The Discovery is a seven seater. But it's a seven seater with a difference because it seats seven adults. Not leprechauns, amputees or kindergarten pupils — real big people.

Granted, it does it with minimal luggage room though there's enough flexibility to arrange the seats to store an eclectic mix of humans and stowage.

The horizontal split tailgate may be a tad old fashioned and be a clumsy two-handed operation, but the fold-down section aids loading heavy luggage and doubles as a seat.

Above everything, the cabin looks fantastic. Even your mates with luxury saloons will love this thing.

Drivetrains and chassis

You've heard about the 2.7-litre turbo-diesel through its use in some Jaguar sedans, other Land Rovers and some Peugeots.

Different electronic mapping and different turbochargers alter the power and torque figures. For the Discovery the bent six gets one turbocharger and one intercooler.

This is a lovely little engine though suffers a tad in the 2.6-plus tonne Discovery.

But it gets a reprieve thanks mainly to the ZF six-speed auto with sequential shift — a box that now is as common as noses — and a 4WD low-range ratio that is one of the lowest in the off-road business.

The Disco gets Land Rover's famed Terrain Response system. This is basically a Play School panel with bright colours and diagrams — no words, let's keep it simple folks — allowing the driver to select the terrain, the high or low-range gearbox, the hill descent function or height adjustment courtesy of the pneumatic suspension.

In a word, brilliant. Just dial up, go easy on the throttle and any terrain is putty in your hands.

I love the suspension for its ultra-supple ride but criticise it for its poor wheel travel. However, just when you think traction will suffer, the Disco's sophisticated traction control — which sources firm ground via sensors and will redirect power to any single wheel — pulls the wagon out of potential trouble.

The Discovery sits on a frame to which a body is then affixed. This adds a lot of weight but keeps everything durable. Monocoque bodies are lighter and can be tauter, but there's something secure about having a couple of train tracks under your seat when taking to the dirt. Equipment

Standard fare rates highly. The more sophisticated sat-nav in the test car was the only extra-cost item. Around town it's a nice aid but serious bush folk would get a big-screen unit from VMS for about the same price.

Leather is a luxury touch and looks great with its perforations. However, while it suits the city you may consider downsizing to the cloth-trimmed Discovery S or get seat covers.

The SE adds a six-disc CD player with eight speakers, park sensors front and rear, cruise control and climate airconditioning.

The xenon headlights are a boon for the country and are also standard issue on the SE.

Driving

This is a big machine with a relatively small engine. And it's a diesel, to boot.

But though there can be some initial lag off the mark, it's a sprightly performer and will more than keep up with most traffic.

Unusually, it doesn't seem to lose its spark when there's three adults aboard which reflects its meaty torque output.

Much of the performance can be aimed at the six-speed auto box that neatly spaces the cogs to suit the low-end power delivery of the engine. Drivers who want to work the box for extra zing may use the sequential mode, though this is suggested mainly when overtaking, towing or for specific off-road sections.

The engine's quietness and smoothness is so petrol-like that you'll fool most of your friends. That keeps the vehicle quiet and comfy for long journeys and won't make it compete with the clarity of the audio system.

The ride comfort will also surprise you. Sure, on the road it's like a big sedan but it's the first corner that will reassess your opinions of large 4WDs.

Thanks to an electronic suspension monitor working on the air springs, body roll is kept to a minimum. That's welcome but just don't get too confident — the body may feel controlled but the tyres may be ready to sign off.

The steering is pleasantly light — because there's a lot of hydraulic assistance between the wheel and your hands — making city parking easy and off-road excursions painless despite the large number of turns lock-to-lock.

Most work on test was gravel though there was a beachside exercise. The low-speed engine torque indicates 4WD High will complete most tasks though the Discovery really comes into its own when the 4WD Low lever is engaged.

The drive is a very low 2.93:1 (most 4WDs are in the 1.5:1 category) which gives the heavy vehicle a lot of pull when things get very sandy or slippery.

Hot beach sand has the traction coefficient of body talc but it didn't deter the test vehicle. Select the Terrain Response picture with the cactus (that's desert as in sand) and raise the suspension and the system refines its power for a low-speed, low-response delivery that will minimise wheel spin.

The tyres were partially deflated — down to 18psi — for the beach stint. They could have gone down to 12psi if things became tricky.

In the gravel the picture of rocks was selected, so again there was a slightly retarded throttle response.

When raised on its suspension the Discovery has a 310mm ground clearance which is more than sufficient for most off-road pursuits. I was initially concerned about the spare wheel bolted under the rear of the chassis rails but the only touchdown on test was the exhaust pipe under the driver's seat while crawling over a gravel mound.

After the drive to the country and the day's outing in the sun, the Disco's computer recorded 11.2 litres/100km. How good is that? Around town I made it climb to 11.9 l/100km but even that was with three adults and a route through morning traffic.

This is a superb machine. Perhaps I'd ask for a bigger fuel tank — it's 82 and could go closer to 100 litres — to give it more legs in the country. Beyond that, I'm sold.

Price: $75,990

Engine: 2.7-litre, V6, quad-cam, 24-valve, turbocharger, intercooler

Power: 140kW @ 4000rpm

Torque: 440Nm @ 1900rpm

Fuel tank: 82 litres (diesel)

Economy (official): 10.2 litres/100km, (tested): 11.9 litres/100km

Performance: 0-100km/h: 11.7sec

Transmission: 6-speed automatic, sequential, 2-speed transfer; constant 4WD

Tow (max): 3500kg