The Land Rover Discovery is an iconic example of a British designed four-wheel-drive vehicle which has enjoyed international appeal. Since its launch in 1989 there have been (to date) eight different style versions in five major launches with each of those versions introducing various new technologies and innovative designs. Practicality was always the name of the game in the Discovery's design brief and the people who have been involved with developing the vehicle have certainly managed to meet that particular requirement- with both passenger and commercial van variants included in the available options lists over the years. Up to seven seats are fitted in all versions of the Discovery along with power steering and an unbeatable view through windows and sunroofs where fitted.
The Discovery was conceived as "Project Jay" during the late 1980's in answer to the growing popularity of Japanese off-road people carriers. Customers were realising that having the space to carry families and luggage was a distinct advantage over squashing everyone into a small car! Land Rover knew that they had to come up with something that was affordable and stylish at the same time, whilst maintaining their existing legendary four-wheel-drive system as well. The company's existing vehicles (90, 110, Range Rover) ranged from utilitarian through to luxurious but with nothing in-between, meaning that customers were either buying into basic practicality (for farming etc.) or for absolute luxury (if they could afford it). The Discovery was therefore designed to fill this gap.
The success of the Discovery over the years has been enormous. Despite problems with reliability of some powertrain parts (mostly supplied by third-party developers) and body & chassis rot prior to the introduction of the Discovery 3 in late 2004 (who could have foreseen that in the early days?), it is a fact that all examples of the vehicle are very highly sought after and make great purchases for a variety of uses from normal driving to off-road hacks. Secondhand values therefore remain high and the Discovery is therefore a worthwhile investment regardless of age or condition, from brand new right down to an original G-WAC pre-production launch example. It is fair to say, however, that the latest versions of the Discovery have moved up the affordability scale somewhat, meaning that they are no longer an option for the average family but more aimed at the luxury market. This however is not a problem when viewed in the sense of the growing secondhand market where there are usually plenty of well maintained older versions available at a fraction of the cost of a brand new model. There is no reason to assume that this trend will not continue during the latest model period. There are also recent renewed Commercial Van options available in the latest model, which offer similar luxury at a reduced price.
A Discovery makes the absolute ideal family car or people carrier, especially if the people being carried are of the taller type - there is a lot more legroom than in conventional vehicles. There are up to seven seats in the Discovery depending on the model specification - and the rearmost seats can be retrofitted into the Discovery 1. There is also plenty of luggage space and various storage locations throughout the vehicle. In addition to this are the various roof storage options and of course the legendary towing capacity that has seen the Discovery scoop numerous and continuous awards. Discoverys fitted with the fully automatic Climate Control system (Discovery 2 onwards, standard on most models) are the ideal touring vehicle whatever the weather as they will keep occupants warm in winter and cool in the summer. Imagine being able to drive across the hottest parts of the world and not sweating at all whilst inside the vehicle! The Discovery 3, 4 & 5 have had optional built-in sat-nav systems - which from the Discovery 4 onwards are updated using Here/NAVTEQ mapping.
There have been a number of petrol and diesel engines available with the Discovery over the years. Obviously the diesel engines have brought economy (up to 50mpg on the 2.0 litre diesel Discovery 5) and refinement whilst the V8 petrol engines have retained high power output. However sales of petrol engined Discoverys in European markets ceased in 2007 due to the rising costs of fuel and the introduction of emissions based road taxation in those markets. Discovery 1 & 2 feature 5 speed manual or 4 speed automatic gearboxes. Discovery 3 & 4 feature six speed manual and up to eight speed automatic gearboxes. The Discovery 5 has an eight speed automatic gearbox as it's sole option. Each gearbox is connected to a transfer box giving high and low range options. The Discovery 3 onwards features a Terrain Response electronic selector that sets everything from braking, air suspension heights, engine power, and other settings for the particular terrain one is driving on at the time.
The Discovery was used on the Camel Trophy off-road adventure series from 1990 - 1997. It proved to be the ideal vehicle for the job - combining the legendary Land Rover four-wheel-drive system with car like comfort levels. When the Camel Trophy ceased to exist due to a public outcry over tobacco sponsorship of major events, it was replaced by Land Rover themselves, initially in the form of the Trek which ran in 1999 & 2001. ln 2003 the new Land Rover G4 Challenge was launched which involved Camel style events in four world regions - this ran again in 2006, and was planned, developed and the vehicles built for another try in 2009 only for that event to be cancelled due to the global recession.
The original Discovery won an award from the British Design Centre in London -the only motor vehicle to do so. lt has also won awards ranging from the 4x4 of the Year (1990 -1995, 1998, 2000 - 2003, 2007 and 2010 - date) to Auto Express’s Large 4WD of the Year on numerous occasions. Doubtless it will continue to win awards from around the globe as it has done since its original launch back in 1989.
It is important to ensure that any Discovery is kept well serviced according to the manufacturer’s recommendations. These are every six thousand miles for the Discovery 1, every twelve thousand miles for the Discovery 2, every sixteen thousand miles for the Discovery 3 and 4, and every twenty thousand miles for the Discovery 5. It is also absolutely essential to keep an eye on the chassis and bodies of all versions to keep rust at bay - it is recommended to use Waxoyle to achieve this! The good news is that the overall costs of parts and accessories for the entire Discovery range is reasonably cheap when compared to some competitors, so it is advisable to shop around and check out the numerous franchised and independent dealerships for these and servicing prices as well.
Of course the Discovery also makes an ideal domestic off-road vehicle when driven carefully and in accordance with Land Rover’s Tread Lightly guidelines for driving on non-surfaced rights of way. It is also ideal for snowy conditions - the heavy snowfalls across Europe during the winter period of 2009 - 2010 and again in 2018 proved this! Suddenly the former pet hates of the anti-4WD brigade became the absolute must-haves especially in rural mountainous regions (for example West Wales!). On the other hand a Discovery is a perfect companion for that camping holiday, anywhere in the world.
The future development of Land Rover vehicles (which shall hopefully very much include the Discovery) will focus on lighter more fuel efficient examples. It is possible that there will be an electric version in hybrid format of the Discovery that will emit less than 120 g/km of co2 and will offer 60mpg. This future vehicle will still need to be great both on and off road yet still comfortably carry up to seven passengers and retain the ability to be sold in different forms such as commercial vans etc. The future may be very interesting indeed. Production of the Discovery moved to Jaguar Land Rover's new plant in Slovakia at the beginning of 2019. Whilst sales have been declining dramatically in the UK they are on the rise in other markets. The current version is so radically different from all previous models that it is taking a long time for some dedicated enthusiasts to warm to it. ln the meantime let us continue to enjoy the past and current versions of the Discovery that we have adored over the years!