LAND ROVER'S LATEST HIGH-TECH LAUNCHED IN CAPE

+ Click to Enlarge HEADING FOR THE MUD: Crossing the Franschhoekberge was a cakewalk for the Land Rover Discovery 4 convoy, though some took a little longer than others. The rough stuff was yet to come. Images: LES STEPHENSON

October 22, 2009
By Les Stephenson



LAND ROVER DISCOVERY 4 - High-tech mobility on any terrain - or high-speed on the road.

Land Rover chose the shiny new water-pumping station alongside the 75m-high rock and concrete wall of the new Franschhoek dam on the Western Cape's Berg River to launch its Discovery 4 SUV this week. The dam is only two years old; Land Rovers have been churning African soil and sand for nearly 60.

It seemed fitting, somehow. Brilliant modern engineering – the giant water pumps, the huge spillway and the concrete buildings – dwarfing the dozen parked Land Rovers and their high-tech and then the nearly kilometre-long dam wall turning them all into kiddies' toys.

The magnificent Franchhoekberge, in turn, put everything into rather puny perspective and then there was the blue, blue sky…

Pretty soon, however, perspective was reversed as the convoy first forded the crystal Berg River, rocking and rolling over the smooth round boulders on its bed, then started a steady diagonal climb up the mountain wall on a track barely wide enough for it and with nothing to the right except a long and probably fatal roll down the near-vertical face.

There are only two models in the Discovery 4 range (Land Rover makes a selling-point of model development, right down to the badging, instead of hiding it as other automakers do) determined by choice of engine. And why not? The Disco 3, the automaker proudly points out, was probably the best SUV yet built in terms of accolades and awards – more than 100 from across the world).

Perhaps, given the new technology within the largely unchanged seven-seater body, the Disco 4 will do even better. The main change is the introduction of a new three-litre turbodiesel engine alongside the existing five-litre petrol unit within a choice of three specification levels. Oh yes, and their prices – whose increases amount to between five and eight percent, and read…

3.0 TDV6 S - R595 000
3.0 TDV6 SE - R645 000
3.0 TDV6 HSE - R725 000
5.0 LRV8 HSE - R720 000

Each includes a Land Rover Care Plan (read service contract) valid for five years or 100 000km. It used to be three years but then LR found most initial buyers kept their car for three years – and the extra two years, carried over, is intended to encourage buyers down the line.

The plan has been introduced, retroactively in the case of new Range Rovers already sold, on all 2010 Land Rover and Range Rover products except for the usually much-abused Defender workhorse 4x4's.

500NM IN A HALF-SECOND

The V6 diesel, a joint Land Rover/Ford/Peugeot production whose parallel turbochargers are a first on a V engine, is capable of 180kW (up from 140kW) and a mighty 600Nm (up from 440 and believed to be the most torque in any six-cylinder production diesel passenger vehicle) and – which shows how much diesel power has progressed over the past 10 years – sub-10sec 0-100km sprints.

Though why that should matter a damn is beyond me. Much more important is its sub-10 litres/100km thirst) – which is not a claim, I managed it easily.

Land Rover claims 500Nm is available within a half-second of pressing the accelerator form idle.

The five-litre V8 petrol engine is good for 276kW and 510Nm and (again, who cares?) 0-100km/h in 7.9sec. It's also said to be more fuel-efficient. The same mill is used in the Range Rover Sport, but with a couple of turbos bolted on.

Land Rover describes the 4 as "more premium and relevant" with more functionality "that includes things you don't expect in an SUV". "And," a spokesman said, "we don't apologise for their cost – frankly, our products are not for everybody. Check the fit and finish for yourself."

All this power (and the "functionality") made the Franschhoek ascent pretty darn easy, especially with all the automatic traction aids that come on all versions of the Land Rover Discovery 4. Driver-selected traction controls cover a number of surfaces and chassis heights – and of course high and low range and the engines' response to accelerator pressure.

STICK-IN-THE-MUDS

I wonder, however, how much difference all the electronics make? I've driven the sands of the Namib - and its beaches - the mud of Mpumalanga, the mountain forests of Madagascar and gravel and sand roads across most of southern Africa and have rarely been stuck for more than a short time.

As you can see from our pictures, the Landies got stuck in the mud of the 4x4 track at Glen Oaks (the Land Rover sport, as you'll read in a later article, had huge trouble in the sucking sands of the Cape's Atlantis sand dunes) but it was all down to the wrong tyres and, in some cases, inexperience.

It was also huge fun; getting stuck (and free again) is all part of the 4x4 experience.

More tech toys on the Discovery include cameras all around the car whose images display on a big, clear screen on the fascia that also shows radio stations, TV, video and satnav), gradient progress control, auto high beam, keyless entry and push-button start as well as "towing assist" that will not only correct trailer sway effortlessly but also (using those cameras) allow you to manoeuvre a trailer without even looking over your shoulder.

The same traction control features double as cornering and stability control tools.

NEW FEATURES

Cruise control, phone, power seats, windows and mirrors, auto aircon, leather upholstery are also part of the package along with LED head and tail lights, sunroof and minor modifications to the body – including a new grille.

New features include input plugs for personal sound equipment (iPODs, memory sticks and the like)

A choice of "natural-finish" woods, along with stitched and wrapped fascia, door casings and centre console, are standard.