PITLOCHRY, Scotland — It’s the usual Jaguar Land Rover caper, this time for its new 2017 Land Rover Discovery: Gather a group of mildly disguised vehicles plastered with large “PROTOTYPE” stickers, bring them to a posh location that actually serves the purpose, and enforce strict rules like positively no on-road driving, which in this case must wait till February. Here in the heart of the Scottish highlands on the vast Blair Atholl estate, mud crawling and rock climbing is the name of the game which, to be perfectly honest, is just fine with us.
Predictably, our Discovery prototype — fitted with the optional air suspension, 21-inch wheels, and locking rear differential — masters the fords, slopes, and rutted trails Land Rover set us out on with aplomb. The 2017 Discovery’s transfer case can switch into low range on the fly, its hill-descent control system is more finely calibrated than before, and there’s even an off-road cruise control device active up to 12 mph. On proper off-road tires (the all-seasons fitted to our tester were adequate), this professional hill walker could probably storm up Ben Nevis — Britain’s highest mountain — without pausing for breath.
The suspension is all new, with double wishbones up front and a multilink setup in the back, to make room for the complex seating arrangement above it. While the Discovery’s body is made almost entirely from aluminum — helping it shed a whopping 800 pounds over the previous LR4 — it still tips the scales at more than 4,800 pounds.
Only one gasoline engine will be available at launch, the 340-hp 3.0-liter supercharged V-6 developed by the Jaguar team and found in several Jaguar offerings. It’s a perky motor, eager to rev and plenty responsive, but its peak torque of 332 lb-ft is no match for the other engine for the U.S.-spec Discovery, the 3.0-liter Td6 turbodiesel with its punchy 443 lb-ft and better fuel economy. On the flipside, the gas engine motivates the big SUV more quickly, hitting 0 to 60 mph in roughly 6.9 seconds to a top speed of 134 mph.
An eight-speed automatic and a couple of diffs mastermind the fully variable front-to-rear and side-to-side torque split. Even though autonomous off-road driving may already be round the corner, the Land Rover Experience department created Terrain Control 2, which encourages the driver to select from various topographical grades, plus low range. Haggis, here we come!
Measuring 195.7 inches in length, the 2017 Discovery needs plenty of lateral clearance to lean and roll, pitch and yaw, articulate its wheels, and stay afloat. Wading depth is a healthy 35 inches, while ride height and ramp, approach, and departure angles have clearly been inspired by the skills of roe deer and mountain goats. To further frighten the wits out of the poor passengers, all vehicle movements are displayed in pictograms and animation on the large in-dash monitor.
In many three-row SUVs, the third row is often barely spacious enough for wee folk. Not so in the new Discovery. The heated leather-clad back bench offers enough head- and knee room, but entering and exiting is clearly a task for Snakeman and Rubberwoman. Customers with deep enough pockets can specify power-operated rear seats controlled via the touchscreen, the Land Rover app, or a set of buttons in the trunk. The only manual adjustment concerns the position of the second-row seats.
While the fifth-generation Land Rover Discovery is a competent and highly functional piece of kit, it’s not without fault. The turning circle measures a fern-flattening 39.7 feet, there is no entry-level engine in sight, and the adaptive LED headlights are one generation behind the matrix systems installed elsewhere. Also on our wish list is a dedicated on-road handling pack with bigger brakes, a plug-in hybrid version, and a bunch of high-end assistance systems like semi-active steering or fully automated parking.
On the plus side, one must appreciate the let-me-do-this-for-you reverse towing function, the surround-view feature, which now keeps an eye on the steering angle of the front wheels, and the much improved connectivity suite that boasts almost failsafe voice control.
Unlike a Range Rover, which, irrespective of size and price, is primarily a status symbol, a Land Rover has always been considered a workhorse first and foremost. This description even applies to the fully loaded — and rather brash — Discovery First Edition. The most significant unique selling proposition of this model is its easy to use seven-seat configuration. Off-road talent is a welcome bonus, but the final purchasing decision depends almost always on more mundane virtues such as practicality and versatility.
2017 Land Rover Discovery Specifications
| On Sale: | Summer 2017 |
| Price: | $50,985 (base) |
| Engines: | 3.0L supercharged DOHC 24-valve V-6/340-hp, 332 lb-ft
3.0L turbocharged DOHC 24-valve diesel V-6/254-hp, 443 lb-ft |
| Transmission: | 8-speed automatic |
| Layout: | 4-door, 5- or 7-passenger, front-engine, 4WD SUV |
| EPA Mileage: | 17/23 mpg (city/hwy) (gas), 22/29 mpg (city/hwy) (diesel)(est) |
| L x W x H: | 195.7 x 87.4 x 72.7 in |
| Wheelbase: | 115.1 in |
| Weight: | 4,835 lb |
| 0-60 MPH: | 6.9 sec (gas), 7.7 sec (diesel) |
| Top Speed: | 134 mph |
The post Prototype Drive: 2017 Land Rover Discovery appeared first on Automobile Magazine.
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