irishcar.com - Land Rover Discovery 2003 first view

The Land Rover Discovery has been ‘reinvented’ for the third time in its 13-year history, with torquier engines, improved ride and handling, and a significantly quieter interior.

The most immediate visual change are the headlights, which have the same ‘pocket rocket tube’ styling as the Range Rover. There are also changes to the bumpers and rear lights design. More than 700 major and detail changes are less apparent.

It is still unmistakably a Discovery, a shape which it seems has imprinted its own branding in the world of sports utility vehicles. ‘Iconic’, they say. So the latest Discovery is everything the previous version was, and more.

Inside it has the same 7-seater optional capacity, with plenty of headroom and a tiered system of seating that allows everyone to have a clear view of the highway or the ruts in the woods. The rear pair of seats are again the unique Discovery type that swing and fold against the side walls when not in use.

New interior trims and colours are aimed at ‘enhancing’ the feeling of space. And there are new ‘Designer Choice’ options, presumably to key with the colour of your wellies.

There’s airconditioning of the intelligent sort, with both front occupants able to select individual settings. This is no luxury, as anyone who has taken their SUV into a humid woods or cloudy mountain passes will know.

A number of entertainment setups are available, the one which will appeal to those who travel with young people being that which allows those in the back to listen to an alternative source via headphones. A DVD player with roof-mounted screen will be available later in the year.

The cabin is said to be quieter by a very significant 63dB, thanks to changes in the insulation materials and the body mountings.

Details for the ‘working driver’ include a 3500kg towing maximum, and a self-levelling suspension that uses air springs in the rear suspension system fed by an electronically controlled compressor. Sensors detect vehicle attitude and adjust the suspension to maintain a level position, regardless of load and it avoids the need to use a stiffer springing compromise. On offroad use, the air suspension can raise the body to provide extra clearance at the rear. If grounded while offroad, this will happen automatically to help the operator out of trouble.

The 2003 Discovery can be had in certain versions with an all-round coil spring suspension.

The latest Discovery has pretty well all the possible electronic aids to safe and practical on- and off-road performance, including the Hill Descent Control pioneered on the smaller Freelander, and ABS with EBD and Brake Assist. These also include Active Cornering Enhancement which automatically stiffens the suspension if there’s a propensity to body roll on a highway turn. It works offroad, too, allowing greater articulation of the suspension/wheels systems. A central difflock is new for the 2003 Disco.

There have been changes to the transfer box to improve noise, vibration and harshness levels, while all seals have been revised to tone down wind noise.

Engines for this side of the world are the familiar 4-litre V8 petrol engine, revised to provide improved torque and response. Output is 185PS and the torque is 340Nm.

The key engine for Ireland is the 2.5-litre 5-cylinder Td5, which outputs 137PS and has torque improved from 315Nm to 340Nm over the previous version. Maximum torque is delivered at 1950rpm. Manual and automatic gearboxes are offered - the autobox being standard with the V8. As always, the Discovery has permanent 4WD.

Land Rover Ireland MD David Harpur expects to sell between 500-600 units of the Discovery in a full year. There are three specification levels immediately available - S, SE and HSE - with prices ranging from 50,000-60,535 euros. A E entry-level version will be available from September. Two commercial versions will be available, from 33,825 euros.

“A simple look at the 2003 model doesn’t show the extent of the improvement in refinement, reliability and capabilities of the new car,” says David Harpur, managing director of Land Rover Ireland. “But get beneath the moderate surface changes, and bring the car onto the road or mountain track, and it becomes clearly obvious that the latest Discovery continues in the evolutionary improvement ethos which has marked the nameplate since its inception.”