Land Rover Discovery

Land Rover Discovery at a glance

Series I (1989–1998)

The first Discovery, developed under the code name Project Jay, was unveiled at the 1989 Frankfurt Motor Show; UK sales began in October 1989. It used the chassis, suspension and four-wheel-drive system of the Range Rover Classic, with live axles front and rear, permanent four-wheel drive, a high and low-range transfer box and a lockable centre differential. Land Rover launched it as a three-door; the five-door followed in 1990, and two optional jump seats in the back made it a seven-seater.

The main engines were the 2.5-litre 200Tdi diesel and the 3.5-litre Rover V8. For Australian cars Wikipedia gives 83 kW and 265 Nm for the diesel and 115 kW and 260 Nm for the V8i. A 2.0-litre petrol was offered briefly. The 1994 update brought the 300Tdi, a 3.9-litre V8, airbags and a largely new interior. The Discovery reached the US for the 1994 model year, and in Japan Honda sold it as the Crossroad. Special editions marked the Camel Trophy, which used Discoveries. How the company itself developed is covered in our Land Rover history.

Series II (1998–2004)

The Series II arrived in autumn 1998. Land Rover counted 720 changes, though the 2,540 mm wheelbase, ladder frame and live axles stayed. The rear overhang grew, and the length reached about 4.70 m. The engines were new: the 2.5-litre Td5 five-cylinder diesel with direct injection, a 4.0-litre V8 and, from the 2003 model year in some markets, a 4.6-litre V8.

Optional ACE active anti-roll control and self-levelling rear air springs improved the ride on the road. A 2002 facelift brought new head and rear lights and reinstated the locking centre differential. The last cars, built in May 2004, were Definitive Editions.

Discovery 3 and 4 (2004–2016)

The Discovery 3, sold as the LR3 in North America, was introduced on 2 April 2004. Its Integrated Body Frame bolted a monocoque cabin and engine bay to a ladder chassis: stronger than before, though heavier than a pure monocoque. It brought fully independent air suspension with cross-linking and the Terrain Response system with modes for sand, grass and snow, mud and rock crawling. The 2.7-litre TDV6 diesel produced 145 kW (195 hp) and 440 Nm, the 4.4-litre V8 220 kW, and a 4.0-litre Ford V6 with 161 kW served North America and Australia.

The Discovery 4 (LR4) went on sale in the UK on 1 September 2009 with the same structure and a facelifted body and cabin. From 2012 a ZF eight-speed automatic replaced the six-speed in Europe.

Wikipedia's yearly figures add up to 353,614 Discovery 4 sales from 2009 to 2016, about 44,000 a year.

Discovery 5: aluminium and monocoque

The Discovery 5 (L462) was unveiled on 28 September 2016 at Packington Hall near Meriden and shown at the Paris Motor Show the same autumn; UK sales started in February 2017. It is the first Discovery with a unibody, an aluminium structure shared with the Range Rover L405. According to km77 the body is about 85 per cent aluminium, and the car is up to 480 kg lighter than its predecessor. The drag coefficient fell from 0.40 to 0.33. Production moved to Slovakia in 2019.

At launch there were three diesels: the 2.0 TD4 with 132 kW (180 PS), the 2.0 SD4 with 177 kW (241 PS) and the 3.0 TD6 with 190 kW (258 PS). The petrol Si4 and Si6 had 221 and 250 kW (300 and 340 PS). An eight-speed automatic and four-wheel drive were standard; a two-speed transfer box was available on most versions but not on the TD4. In Spain prices started at €57,600 for the TD4 S five-seater in 2017. The First Edition was limited to 2,400 cars.

The 2020 facelift and current engines

The facelift was launched in November 2020 for the 2021 model year. It brought new lights and bumpers, the 11.4-inch Pivi Pro touchscreen, a push-pull gear selector instead of the rotary dial and digital dials. The six-cylinder engines gained 48 V mild-hybrid assistance.

By March 2025 Top Gear's UK review listed the D350 as the only engine. To compare the Discovery's outputs in horsepower, the power converter helps.

Safety and ratings

Euro NCAP gave the Discovery 5 five stars in 2017. The scores were 90 per cent for adult occupants, 80 per cent for children, 75 per cent for pedestrians and 73 per cent for safety assistance. The Discovery 3 had earned five stars from ANCAP in 2004. In 2007 a driverless Discovery 3 (LR3) finished fourth in the DARPA Urban Challenge for autonomous vehicles.

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