Land Rover Discovery: Master Of The Elements

12 April 2021 Redazione Budget Cars, News, Vintage

LAND ROVER DISCOVERY

MASTER OF THE ELEMENTS

Words Marco Mancino / Photos Land Rover

When we think of Land Rover, the boxy shape of the Defender next to the more traditional Range Rover immediately peeps into our minds. Two authentic icons that define a brand that over the years has always kept up its adventurous spirit and stylish image thanks to the innate ability of standing out from the rest of the world with models capable of excelling on bumpy roads and at the same time representing trending objects perfectly at home in the coolest residential neighborhoods of Los Angeles. Combining opposites in a single container, not a simple thing at all, especially if we count that over the years SUVs less suited to use on dirt roads have taken over in a segment that for a certain period seemed to have forgotten its usefulness in favor of public indulgence.

In 1989, at the Frankfurt Motor Show, Land Rover gave birth to a model that went alongside both the Defender and Range Rover, settling in an even cheaper price range than the second one. The Discovery would have been a cheaper alternative, but it would have offered plenty of on board space due to its particular body with a large load compartment which, if necessary, even allowed two extra seats. Initially presented only in the 3-door version – the only one of its kind – just to avoid the risk of going into direct competition with the big daddy Range, the “Disco” then adopted a more traditional 5-door configuration, making clear that it would not have represented a compromise.

The improved room in its cabin was made possible not only by the more generous dimensions in terms of overall volume, but also by the fact that the spare wheel was placed externally, hanging on the side hinged tailgate. The side profile of the Discovery was therefore clearly distinguishable from the Range and the Defender, but the strong point was the surprising combination of a cockpit finished like that of a high-level sedan and the off-road skills that made the Defender unstoppable like its brothers. This therefore led it to enjoy a life of its own, a situation also confirmed by the fact that in the first four years of production – from 1990 to 1994 – no significant changes were made, still offering two only engines, a smaller 2.5 cc diesel from 113 horsepower and the most powerful and prestigious 3.5-liter V8 with 155 horsepower. In both cases it was not a question of performance, but about on-board comfort and off-road ability, with further increased dimensions for the rear area that guaranteed the possibility of allocating it to the most diverse purposes.

The fact that the Discovery was released as the less expensive alternative to the traditional Range Rover never weighed on its image, precisely because it represented a more aimed vehicle at users seeking the greater practicality offered by a larger body. It was indeed possible to recline the rows of rear seats and have a huge cargo compartment, but at the same time the driver would have all the necessary comforts at disposal. Permanent all-wheel drive, excellent ground clearance and low range gears completed a mechanical equipment that knew no limits and that consecrated the Discovery I as the ideal vehicle to tackle any conditions, even the harshest ones.

The Land Rover Discovery II was then produced from 1998 to 2004, slightly updating its aesthetic and accentuating in a more incisive way the abilities on rough terrain, this also thanks to the fact of having adopted systems such as Hill Descent Control and the possibility of lifting the rear, useful in extreme situations. In 2004, the so-called LR3 took on the brand’s new stylistic language, drawing on the successful new generation Range Rover, still maintaining its own distinctive look and the inclination to leave paved roads in search of some epic adventure, an aspect once again confirmed in 2017 with the latest generation, featuring softer lines, an increasingly luxurious interior, but keeping intact that desire for freedom that only a Discovery is able to offer.