10 Things You Need to Know About the 2017 Land Rover Discovery

Land Rover finds itself in an ideal situation for growth. With strong financial backing from its parent company, Tata Motors, and a vehicle portfolio focused on the most popular segment, SUVs, it’s no wonder the British automaker is crushing sales goals. Land Rover didn’t just stumble into this prime position, either – the brand has spent decades developing premium vehicles with tremendous off-road capability.

Numerous luxury brands are keen to enter the SUV space and steal Land Rover’s customers. As the segment grows, these companies will no doubt find buyers – but taking them from the category creator won’t be easy. Over the next few years, Land Rover will introduce new generations of its most established nameplates. This process starts with the all-new Discovery.

Autobytel was invited to test the 2017 Discovery on some of Utah’s most challenging and beautiful terrain. 400 miles of driving later, we’ve comprised 10 things you need to know about the luxury off-roader.

The Discovery story spans 27 years and five generations. In 1989, Land Rover introduced a vehicle to tackle the harshest terrain. Initially, the vehicle was offered exclusively in 3-door configuration, but a 5-door was added a year later. The first generation Discovery was distinguished by its steeped roof, rear jumper seats, and sophisticated 4-wheel drive system (which included a 2-speed transfer case and locking center differential).

In 1998, the Series II debuted with innovative off-road features like hill descent control and traction control, and a more upscale interior. The third generation added fully independent air suspension, Terrain Response, and a dynamic stability control system. In 2009, Land Rover introduced its most refined Discovery yet; its high-end interior touches and a sleek exterior brought more customers into the fold.

That brings us to present day, and the fifth generation Discovery. Though the new Discovery shares few aesthetic similarities with its forbearers, its off-road capability and refined ride are as profound as ever.

Land Rover is celebrating 1.2 million sales of the Discovery. This impressive milestone can be credited to a number of factors, but the UK automaker says the model’s premium progression is most responsible. "We made the 4th gen Discovery much more premium and it's sales increased dramatically," says Massimo Frascella, Land Rover Creative Director. “That tells us customers love the durability but want a more premium experience."

To continue the Discovery’s upward sales trend, Land Rover refined every element of the new model. We’ll touch on each of these changes in the following pages.

Traditionalists may argue against the Discovery’s design departure, but Land Rover wagers luxury customers will appreciate its new form.

Though the new Discovery is larger than ever, its tighter, more rounded bodywork has been styled to make the SUV appear compact. Heritage traits like the clamshell bonnet, steeped roof, and defined C-pillar remain, but are baked into a softer exterior than its boxy predecessors.

The Discovery Vision Concept, introduced in 2014, pioneered many of the production car’s distinctive visual cues. Defined wheel arches, a sculpted nose with side air inlets, slender LED headlights, and a single-piece tailgate add contemporary curb appeal. Customers can choose from 14 alloy wheel designs in 4 sizes (19-22 inch) to accentuate the SUV’s profile. Also available are two Design Packs to differentiate the wheels, mirror caps, front and rear bumpers, and fenders.

Apart from the Discovery’s dramatic redesign, the vehicle’s biggest change is to its platform. A new aluminum monocoque structure sheds over 1,000 pounds from the LR4, which translates to about 20% weight savings. Combined with more compact powertrains, the new Discovery emits far fewer C02 gases and gains several miles per gallon.

The U.S. market will have two available powertrains, a 3.0-liter supercharged V6 making 340 hp and 332 lb-ft of torque and a 3.0-liter turbodiesel V6 making 258 hp and 443 lb-ft of torque. Both engines are mated to a ZF 8-speed automatic transmission. The petrol engine returns 21 combined mpg and the diesel nets 26 combined mpg. Those who choose to spend $2,000 extra on the diesel powertrain will fare better off-road with ample low-end torque.

A softened exterior hints as to the vehicle’s ride quality and on-road composure, but betrays the incredible off-road ability of the 2017 Discovery.

Among the vehicle’s highlights is a ground clearance of up to 11.4 inches (with the available air suspension), an approach angle of 34 degrees, a breakover angle of 27.5 degrees, a departure angle of 30 degrees, and wheel articulation of 19.7 inches. The Discovery can also wade to a depth of 35.4 inches – deeper than its LR4 predecessor.

All Discovery models come standard with Terrain Response 2, Land Rover’s intuitive traction management system with Auto, Grass, Gravel, Snow, Mud, Sand, and Rock Crawling modes. Permanent 4-wheel drive is paired with either a single-speed or an optional 2-speed transfer case with low range gears. Rounding out the list of off-road technologies is All-Terrain Progress Control (ATPC), which is effectively cruise control for hill climbs. Simply set your ascension speed, work the steering wheel, and let the vehicle’s advanced traction control system do the rest.

The 2017 Discovery’s premium focus is most apparent within the SUV’s newly refined cabin. A cleaner, more refined layout, composed of plush leather, smooth metals, wood grain, and soft-touch materials, invites passengers to luxury travel. The interior transformation places the Discovery on par with the upmarket Range Rover Sport.

Land Rover says every seat in the new Discovery is “the best seat in the house,” and while front occupants enjoy more comfortable chairs, each of the remaining five seats (or three, if you opt for the 5-passenger spec) feature plenty of leg- and headroom. Six-foot adults have no trouble fitting in the third row, and thanks to stadium seating, every passenger has a good view of the dashboard.

A good adventure vehicle is more than just a capable one; the right car needs space to accommodate the whole family. The 2017 Discovery checks both boxes, with intelligent interior storage and seating configurations to fit any scenario.

With the third row folded, the Discovery has a capacity of 43.5 cubic ft., and 88.3 cu. ft. with the second row stowed. Each seat can be individually stowed or raised via optional one-touch controls in the trunk or via the infotainment system. The Discovery also makes a great tailgating vehicle thanks to the optional powered inner tailgate that can support over 600 pounds.

A cavernous cabin is great, but what about cubbies for smaller items? The Discovery absolutely excels in this regard with 21 additional storage areas for an extra 11.8 gallons of space.

Rounding out the ideal cabin is the Discovery’s advanced convenience and safety features. Land Rover’s InControl systems take center stage to make any trip more pleasant. Mounted at the center of the redesigned dashboard is a smart, snappy 10-inch touchscreen with 60GB of storage, apps, and a surround view camera system.

The sophisticated Touch Pro display can split navigation and media into two screens to accommodate driver and passenger needs. Land Rover’s InControl remote lets you control seat configurations, climate settings, and locking/unlocking from your smartphone. A built-in Wi-Fi hotspot can link with up to eight devices. Nine USB ports and six 12V charging sockets give every passenger power.

Available safety features include autonomous emergency braking with pedestrian protection, adaptive cruise control, lane keep assist, park assist (semi autonomous parallel or perpendicular parking), a driver condition monitor, traffic sign recognition, and an intelligent speed limiter.

The 2017 Land Rover Discovery starts at $49,990, excluding $995 in destination fees. This figure is set $910 lower than the entry-level LR4 model, which is remarkable given the new generation’s supreme capability and features.

Three distinct trims will be available in the United States: SE, HSE ($56,960), and HSE Luxury ($63,950). A limited number of First Edition ($73,950) vehicles will also be available, fully-loaded and painted in three unique colors. All SE models feature 19-inch alloy wheels, leather upholstery, Terrain Response, coilover suspension, and dual-zone automatic climate control. HSE models add navigation, 20-inch wheels, and LED headlights. Finally, HSE Luxury models feature Windsor Leather upholstery, 20-inch alloy wheels, air suspension, a panoramic sunroof and power third row seats.

The Discovery has always occupied unique territory in the midsize luxury suv market. Its blend of capability and versatility with a thin luxury veil was sometimes hard for buyers to justify. Now, however, the vastly more premium fifth generation offers an even mix of refinement and durability.

Land Rover cites the Volvo XC90 ($45,750), Mercedes-Benz GLE ($52,000), Audi Q7 ($49,000), BMW X5 ($55,500), and GMC Yukon ($48,530) as competitors, but only the Q7, XC90, and Yukon offer seating for seven. Additionally, the Discovery’s all-terrain capability exceeds each luxury rival.

It would appear the Land Rover Discovery is no longer the best choice for adventure-seekers; it’s the best choice – period.