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FIRST DRIVE: New
Discovery by John Oxley
Land Rover's future is resting on the new
Discovery 3. And we predict the new car, together with a strong and
focused management team intent on pleasing customers, will take the
company out of the doldrums and to new heights. We drive it.
It isn't so much the way the Discovery 3
performs in any one area that makes it special. It's the way it performs
so well in EVERY way. The first
product designed totally under new owners Ford Motor Co. has seen the
light of day, has been driven to extremes under the African sun, and has
not been found wanting. It has been
designed to make light work out of off-road driving, using a
"dial-up" system that simply and easily explains every setting
of suspension, gearbox, and speed. Even
a novice can tackle deep sand, big rocks, slippery roads, mud or forest
tracks, ford rivers - or use the car to transport hordes of kids to
school in luxury.
The car is more spacious than any
Discovery before it without growing much externally. Its
seating system is so easy that it flicks from comfortable seating for
seven adults (and we know, 'cos we tried it) to a totally flat interior
that will take huge objects and still leave room for the driver and
front passenger. And, of course, any
combination in between.
New engines
It has a new range of engines that come
from the Ford and Jaguar stables, tried and tested units that give more
power than the outgoing BMW derived motors while offering better fuel
economy and less complexity.
On top of that all the automatic
gearboxes (the only option at the moment) are ZF 6-speed units with
genuine lock-up facility in the lower gears, with a 5-speed manual to
come later on the turbo-diesel variant.
The body is lighter and stronger (and
much more attractive) than that of the Series 2 Discovery, but still
retains a separate chassis with the body bolted on.
Suspension is for the first time
independent all round, but there is huge wheel articulation together
with cross-linked air suspension that allows the axles to act in the
same way as solid axles in ensuring the bodywork clears rocks.
On top of all that Discovery 3 has lots
of electronic aids in a dual system that the company guarantees will
always get you home. All electronic
bits are now out of harms way so they won't be damaged by water ingress,
and the car is sealed so it can ford water up to 700 mm deep without the
carpets getting flooded.
It has three suspension settings to
ensure you don't easily end up on your belly in the sand, and it has a
full-size spare wheel for those moments we all dread.
Customer satisfaction
I also chatted with Thomas Viehvey, the
new head of Ford SA's Premier Automotive Group (and of Land Rover), who
has been drafted in from Brazil to move Land Rover forward. Thomas,
a German who has also worked at BMW, is adamant his aim is to get
customer satisfaction levels up to, and better than, the industry norm.
Already things are starting to improve
significantly, with a 50% reduction in warranty claims 2002 to 2004,
parts supply at 95%, and a dramatic cut in pending problem cases.
New systems have been put in place to
deal with customer complaints, and new dealers have been appointed where
there have been problem areas. "The
cars coming out of the UK are very much better built than before, and
the Discovery 3 is also very easy to build, so we expect that area to
get better. "But there will
always be human error in dealing with problems, and that is the area we
are working on the hardest," he told me as we walked together over
sand dunes near Sandwich Bay in Namibia.
Why were we in Namibia? Simply, that gave
us the widest diversity of terrain we could test the vehicles in a short
time, while allowing us space and easy co-operation with authorities to
ensure we could do it without interfering with other roads users.
Lots of space
There are only 1.8-million people in
Namibia, in a vast and empty land, and sometimes we were the only souls
for tens of kilometres in any direction.
So we got permission to travel on beaches
to access the high dunes, and we were also able to test the cars to
their limits on tar roads without falling foul of lawmen. The
only thing we couldn't test was snow and ice - but we had lots of
slippery gravel. On the road we
discovered the cars are quick and quite nimble, albeit with a fair
amount of body roll as to be expected from a high-standing vehicle.
The suspension can be raised 55 mm for
off-road conditions - and lowered 50 mm when getting in and out - while
there's an automatic "normal" setting for ordinary driving
which comes in automatically when speed get higher. Off-road,
it's simply a matter of defining what you're doing, and following the
instructions. If it's an ordinary tar road, leave it in the normal
setting and just drive. There's full-time four-wheel drive and ASC
anti-skid control, plus ABS brakes all round to keep you on the island.
When the going gets tough, you simply select
low range by pulling on one lever and holding it, then select the
appropriate setting on the Terrain response dial.
Five options
 Five
options face you, each with an easy-to-read drawing, plus settings are
also shown on an LCD panel on the dashboard.
The first is "General" - for
ordinary driving.
Then there's
"Grass/Gravel/Snow" for slippery surfaces.
"Mud/Ruts" is obvious, as is "Sand", while
"Rock Crawl" is for slow and careful driving over rocks and
boulders.
There's also Hill Descent Control which
prevents you going too fast downhill.
The amazing thing about all this is that
gearbox and throttle settings, as well as vehicle height and suspension
response, adjust to each dial setting.
In the "Grass/Gravel/Snow" mode
the wheels are set not to spin. But they are allowed to spin a bit in
the "Mud/Ruts" setting. In "Sand" the throttle is
much more responsive, while in rock crawl the accelerator settings are
slow to respond so you can ease over rocks.
In "Rock Crawl" the suspension
stiffens so wheels can lift the body over rocks, while the shock
absorbers can over-extend to ensure there's grip.
It's all dead easy, and after climbing to
the top of a 30 metres high sand dune and going straight down the other
side without even a sign of getting stuck, I can attest to the Discovery
3's abilities.
It turns off-road duffers into safe and
positive 4x4 drivers.
New engines
I was also impressed with the new range
of engines.
Top-of-the range is a 4.4-litre all-alloy
Jaguar-derived engine that is light and compact, and which delivers 220
kW at 5 500 r/min and 425 Nm of torque at 4 000 r/min.
Then there's a Ford-based 4-litre petrol
V6 - which has an all-new top end for the Discovery, which puts out 156
kW, 13% more than the 4-litre V8 engines of the outgoing Discovery
model. Maximum torque is a substantial 360 Nm.
And finally, a high-technology TDV6
turbo-diesel similar to that recently launched in the Jaguar S-Type, to
great acclaim. The unit uses common
rail technology and operates at even higher pressure than most common
rail injection systems - about 25% more than average - benefiting
performance, economy, refinement and emissions. Maximum
power is 140 kW at 4 000 r/min and maximum torque 440 Nm, developed at
only 1 900 r/min.
All are smooth and responsive, though the
V8 proved thirsty in high-speed driving, while the turbo-diesel is
undoubtedly the pick of the bunch.
The petrol V6 also impressed, not least
for its relative frugality compared to the outgoing engine, with a
combined average after three days of hard off-road and fast on-road
driving of 16.6 litres/100 km not bad given the conditions.
Prices
Discovery 3 V6 S: R440 000 Discovery 3
TDV6 S: R470 000 Discovery 3 TDV6 SE: R510 000 Discovery 3 V8 SE: R510
000 Discovery 3 TDV6 HSE: R570 000 Discovery 3 V8 HSE R: 570 000 In
detail
Discovery 3 is new from the ground up,
although the Discovery DNA can be seen in the clamshell bonnet and the
stepped roofline. But the new car is
smooth and angle-free, with almost flat sides that don't hook on trees
and bushes, and there's a longer wheelbase to give a smoother ride and
better approach and departure angles as well as better access to the
third row of seats.
At the front there is much of the
outgoing model - and of the Range Rover - in the simple three-slat
grille and staggered lights.
But at the back is a huge departure.
The tailgate is a two-piece design, as on
the Range Rover, rather than a large outward-opening door, as on
previous Discovery models. There are
major practical benefits to the new asymmetric shape. First,
when the upper part of the tailgate is raised, the asymmetrically shaped
lower lid reduces load height into the boot. When
both upper and lower halves are opened, the asymmetric shape reduces
"reach in" distance. Unlike
earlier Discoverys, the spare wheel is now mounted under the body,
rather than on the rear door.
The lights are set high up in the
bodywork where they are easy to see and avoid parking damage.
The interior
In every major dimension, the new
vehicle's interior is either class leading or among the very best.
Compared with the outgoing Discovery
model, the major improvements are in legroom, shoulder room, and
third-row headroom. The Discovery 3 has an extremely spacious third row
of seats and the wide doors are designed to ensure easy cabin and boot
access.
Second and third seat rows can fold right
down into the floor.
"Stadium seating" means that
each row is higher than the one in front, improving the view for all
passengers, helped by the deep glazing. The stepped roof ensures plenty
of headroom throughout.
All seats are large and comfortable, and
higher level Discovery 3 models come with leather upholstery. Both outer
seats in the second row are equipped with Isofix attachment points for
European-standard and North American child seats.
Front seats are available with power
adjustment, covering fore and aft movement, height and squab recline,
plus manual lumbar support adjustment. In addition, the driver's seat
offers electric cushion tilt adjustment. On manual front seats there is
fore and aft adjustment and squab recline, plus lumbar support and
height adjust on the driver's seat.
Individual seats
The second row of seats features three
individual seats. Each folds separately and all retract into the
footwell. The two outer seats can also jack-knife forward to provide
easy access to the third-row seats.
These also fold flat into the floor, and
when all rear seats are down, the huge, flat cargo area is almost two
metres long.
Stowage space is extensive. In the fascia
there are two gloveboxes on the passenger side, and a tray at the base
of the front console with a non-slip mat. There is also a coin tray and
a clip for tickets and toll slips.
The use of an Electronic Park Brake,
rather than a conventional handbrake, liberates extra space in the
centre console.
A large cubby box, which can hold up to
four drink cans, is fitted right behind the console, and this is
available with a cooling system to keep the drinks chilled. The cubby
box lid can be folded back to act as a useful tray for rear seat
passengers.
Mobile phone
A mobile phone can be stowed within the
cubby box lid, and can be integrated into a hands-free system via
Bluetooth.
Large cup holders for driver and front
seat passenger are fitted in the centre console, and there is an
additional folding cup holder for the passenger. Both front doors have
capacious bins, including holders for large bottles of water or soft
drink.
The rear side doors also have large bins,
again big enough for drink bottles. In all, 17.5 litres of drinks can be
stowed in a Discovery 3.
Large lower quarter panels in the rear
compartment provide stowage space for those sitting in the third row, or
secure stowage in the boot area. The top surface includes a cup holder
and shallow tray, as well as in-car entertainment controls for the
rear-seat passengers. Recesses, closed with nets, are also offered for
extra stowage.
The fascia has a simple, geometric look.
There is large instrumentation, plus
good-sized, tactile and intuitive controls. Switches are kept to a
minimum - the built-in technology, including Land Rover's new Terrain
Response system, can do much of the work for the driver.
Luxury feel
The fascia moulding is in Thermoplastic
Urethane (TPU), which has a luxury feel, resists fade caused by sunlight
and has fewer plasticisers to reduce the mist deposited on the inside of
the windscreen. The fascia is
supported on a die-cast magnesium alloy crossbeam that is both light and
strong, and provides precise mounting ? improving finish and reducing
any propensity to rattle.
Roof trim and door pillar trim are soft
fabric, and all grab handles are damped. Two roof-mounted consoles
provide interior lighting, with separate lights for the third-row
passengers.
Air conditioning is standard on all
Discovery 3 models and comes in two forms, manually operated and
automatic. Both include a particulate
filter to remove pollutants in both fresh air and recirculating modes,
and four fascia-mounted adjustable vents with thumbwheel shut-offs.
There is an additional lap cooler vent for the driver beneath the
steering wheel. Airflow is also
directed at the windscreen, side windows and front footwells. For the
second row of seats, there are two vents at the back of the centre
console.
Independent
On higher level vehicles, fully automatic
temperature control is used. Both sides operate independently.
The system can also be specified with
optional rear air conditioning and heating. The rear cabin temperature
can also be controlled separately.
The Discovery 3 offers a high level of
in-car entertainment systems and one of the most advanced navigation
systems available. Higher-line models
have a six-CD in-dash unit. Six speakers are fitted to entry models,
while upper range models use Harman/Kardon systems with nine speakers,
including a sub-woofer. A premium
14-speaker Harman/Kardon 'Logic 7' seven-channel digital surround system
is also available. The head unit can also play MP3 files and, with 11x
compression the equivalent of a 66 CD library can be stored and played
in the vehicle.
The optional state-of-the-art navigation
system is DVD-based, and includes the latest generation of off-road
navigation. The navigation system is
controlled by a 180 mm high resolution touch screen, while two buttons
switch the screen between the main 'Home' menu and the navigation
system. Voice recognition is available for navigation and audio
controls. The screen also displays information from the Terrain Response
system.
The car's body-frame architecture gives
tremendous protection in impacts and passenger safety is further
improved by the use of up to eight airbags. The
driver's airbag is installed in the steering wheel boss and the front
passenger airbag is in the fascia. Two airbags in the front seats
provide protection for the thorax.
There are two full-length curtain airbags
fitted in the cant rails above the first and second rows of seats,
offering side protection. Two additional side bags are fitted in the
rearmost area.
www.wheels24.co.za
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View from the top: Land
Rover's Discovery III tackles the steepest of slopes. (Photograph: Gavin
Foster)
Dynamic
on-road performance is a top priority for the Discovery 3. The
top-of-the-range engine is a specially developed 4.4-litre version of
Jaguar’s acclaimed V8 petrol engine. Changes for Land Rover use
include increased capacity (from 4.2-litres), more low-end torque,
enhanced dust- and water-proofing, and revised breathing to enable the
car to wade rivers as well as cruise highways. In Land Rover guise, the
engine must also be able to run at acute angles for extreme off-road
use. 
