Discovery 4 TDV6 HSE 2011
In a nutshell:
Land Rover’s initial plan was to give the Discovery 3 a facelift. But then the company changed the Disco so much they called it Discovery 4. At least that’s Land Rover’s story – and they’re sticking to it.
What does matter is that it’s selling like hotcakes. And it’s easy to see why, because it’s a good-looking vehicle with just about every luxury you could ask for. The 3-litre TDV6 engine that replaces the previous 2.7-litre turbo-diesel engine is also a brand-new addition to the range.
What’s more, Land Rover’s Terrain Response system ensures that it can conquer extremely difficult terrain … theoretically, that is. Because for all its excellent attributes it has an Achilles heel if you ever plan on using it off-road.
Inside:
The Discovery 4 is more luxurious inside than many luxury sedans. Even the owners of luxury yachts might feel a little pang of envy when faced with so much opulence − it’s leather wherever you look. You can rattle off specifications, write about the air-conditioning, CD player, 14 speakers (yes, that’s right), navigation system and what not, but you’ll struggle to convey the sense of quality.
Sitting in the driver’s seat, you feel a little like being in control of a ship’s bridge. You can spend hours playing with the touch screen that controls the sound and navigation systems. Or fiddle to get the position of your seat’s armrest just right.
As if the interior lights aren’t enough, lights underneath the side mirrors illuminate the car’s exterior when you push the button on the remote control.
The third row of seats folds away completely into the load bay and if you fold the middle row of seats forward, you have a nice station-wagon-type load bay. Although it’s no longer such a novelty, it is important to mention the rear-view camera. Put the Disco in reverse and a wide-angle image of the area behind the car is displayed on the dashboard screen. It’s not as clever as the system in Hyundais and Kias, where the image appears in a corner of the rear-view mirror, but it does help a lot
Under the skin:
The 3-litre V6 turbo diesel, the same engine that is used in the Jaguar XJ and XF, effortlessly propels this 2.5 ton vehicle. Want to overtake? Depress the accelerator and feel the seamless power push you forwards. Where the Disco 3’s 2.7-litre turbo diesel developed 140 kW and 440 Nm, the Disco 4 engine pushes out 180 kW power and 600 Nm torque. And all of that at only 9.3 litre of diesel for every 100 km you drive.
The six-speed automatic gearbox changes gears quickly and after a while you start wondering if you’d ever want to experience a manual gearbox again. According to Land Rover the Disco 4 accelerates from 0 to 100 km/h in 9.6 seconds – as quickly as a BMW 323i.
Impressive or what? But it gets even better when you look at the chassis and four-wheel-drive system. The Disco has neither a ladder-frame chassis, nor a monocoque chassis like that of the Pajero. Land Rover calls it an “Integrated Body Frame” and it’s pretty much a combination of the two.
But that’s not all. What makes the modern Land Rovers unique is the Terrain Response system with which the vehicle can be “adjusted” by the turn of a knob for varying terrain such as rocks, sand, mud, snow/ice etc. The vehicle’s onboard computer adjusts the ride height, gear shifts and accelerator sensitivity accordingly.
So if you’re in sand mode, the accelerator will be more sensitive, the gearbox will only switch to the next gear at higher revolutions and the ground clearance will be set to maximum. In the rock mode, you must be in low-range, the accelerator is less sensitive and the gears change quicker. On paper it’s a wonderful system that has won several awards.
Comments
The truck performance parts of each Land Rover is tailored to keep the vehicle moving in any kind of terrain. It is very imperative to keep the engine to its peak power to perform well with its suspension and other elements that would keep the truck moving.
We get the Discovery 4 in Panama with 18" wheels that fit many AT & MT options
GoodYear Wrangler MT/R (255 / 55 / R19 ) were tested on the D4 and are brilliant for off roading, they are noisy but its better than loosing a tire.
I have the Disco 3 and want to replace it with a 4. I seem to recall that someone said the 3's wheels fit on the 4. Does anybody know if that is correct?
I hear what you say about the Goodyear Wrangler MT/R (255/55/R19). However, the 55 indicates that one's ability to deflate the tyre for sand becomes pretty limited, not so? Or are you saying those tyres' grip in sand is good enough to outweigh the negative?
If I can't find a satisfactory response I may as well stay with my 3. That said, if I do find a satisfactory response, I will sell mine to someone at R220 000 only. I see no reason for the dealers to fleece us. As I recall some dealer offered my R190 000 a couple of months back.
Since then I added a roof rack, a 120 litre fuel tank and a 55 litre water tank for our desert trip from Luderitz to Walvis Bay. As to the trip, there can be few better. As to the car... it was a breeze while others screamed and floundered in the sand. No car has ever impressed me as much and I have owned many. Only pain is that screeching electronic hand brake! That screech will put you in the nut house, so get it serviced the minute you hear the first squeal!!
The Disco 4 cannot be fitted with the Disco 3's tyres, unfortunately.
The reason being that the D4's brake discs are too big to allow the smaller wheels/rims.
The GoodYear Wrangler MT/R255/55/R19s are good tyres, but yes, I'm not convinced that their grip will compensate for their low profile, as grip is almost irrelevant in sand - the ability to deflate and provide 'floatation' is much more important.
So the GoodYear's in question will give the D4 the ability to negotiate rocky terrain - and sand to some extent. Sadly, the 19-inch wheels prohibit it from utilizing its full off-road potential.
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