By Jim Prueter
MotorwayAmerica.com

(July 2, 2018) Fresh off a complete new redesign last year, the fifth-generation model sports a new look, a new name and features a slew of technological advancements, including lightweight body construction, making Discovery about 20 percent lighter than the outgoing LR4.

Gone is the boxy look in favor of a more rounded aerodynamic flowing design. But a few historical lineage cues remain, like the offset rear license plate and the signature, stepped roof that’s now dwindled to a mere ripple.

Inside, the Discovery better reflects the look, feel and quality of Range Rover models, giving it a much stronger sense of luxury than before. Elegant touches of supple hand-stitched leather, brushed metals and natural charcoal oak veneer enhance the upscale feel.



The Discovery has three rows of heated seats for seven adults and introduces the world’s first Intelligent Seat Folding technology. Seats can be configured remotely from anywhere in the world, using a smartphone-enabled InControl Remote® application or of course, buttons inside the vehicle.

Also new is the 258-horsepower 3.0-liter V-6 turbodiesel. It’s a superbly smooth, quiet powerplant from which 443 pound-feet of off-road, near-vertical, boulder-climbing torque emanates. A 3.0-liter supercharged 340-horsepower V-6 is the standard engine. Both are matched to an eight-speed automatic transmission.

To test the claim that Discovery is the most capable off-road vehicle ever from Land Rover, I drove more than 300 miles in rugged dry river beds, muddy undulating trails, in the deep powder sand of Utah’s Coral Pink Sand Dune State Park and even icy road conditions near the north entrance of the Grand Canyon National Park. Not surprisingly, the Discovery was unstoppable in all conditions. It can also ford water up to 35.4 inches deep.

The Terrain Response system offers five settings, and an Auto mode removes the guesswork by giving the vehicle over 1,000 bits of road-condition information per second, allowing the computer to select the best mode.

While most owners will likely never take the Discovery through these extreme conditions, we think they should. With all its built-in capabilities, comfort and safety features, you’d be missing out on a lot of places most people will never see.

Vital Stats
Price: $49,900 - $65,950
Price as Tested: N/A
Seating: 7
Engine: 3.0-liter V6 or 3.0-liter turbodiesel
Horsepower: 340-hp: V6 – 258-hp: turbodiesel
Fuel Economy: N/A

Competes With:
Audi Q7
BMW 5 Series
Mercedes-Benz GLE
Volvo XC 90

Fab Features:
Terrific new styling
Luxurious, spacious interior
Unstoppable off-road prowess
Quiet, refined on road comfort