LAND ROVER DISCOVERY 4 (2014-2016)

By Jonathan Crouch

Models Covered

5dr Family 4x4 (3.0-litre SDV6 diesel [GS, XS, HSE Lux])

Introduction

There’s nothing quite like a Land Rover Discovery and a 2014 model year package of final improvements for the fourth generation version cemented its position as the most practical and capable choice in the large SUV sector. These updates added extra high-tech equipment, a whole raft of subtle cosmetic updates and a greater emphasis on improved efficiency and lower emissions. The result was an even more compelling multi-purpose proposition that makes eminent sense as a used market buy in this segment.

The History

Without the Discovery model, it’s doubtful whether the Land Rover brand would even exist today. Launched back in 1989, the original version merely bolted more spacious bodywork onto an aging Range Rover chassis but the sales it generated were enough to save the company. They also financed a more sophisticated five cylinder air suspended model in 1998 at the same time as the company’s engineers were busily beavering away at something much better, the design that ultimately became the improved fourth generation version we’re looking at here.

This car traces its parentage back to the third generation Discovery3 of 2004, a design vastly superior to anything that had gone before. Until that point, family SUVs had either been very good off road or very good on it. Thanks to its double chassis and air suspended ‘Integrated Body Frame’ technology, this car could be both and customers loved it. Sadly, there was less sophistication beneath the bonnet and in terms of the variants on offer, customers ended up having to choose between thirsty or slow.

Hence the need for the fourth generation Discovery4 model we first saw in 2009. That car at last had a properly performing diesel engine – a 3.0-litre TDV6 unit, quickly further refined and re-badged as an ‘SDV6’ powerplant. But its heavy underpinnings put it at a disadvantage to more modern German rivals. Some of these Land Rover was able to take on with the second generation Range Rover Sport model launched in mid-2013, but lower-order Mercedes, BMW and Audi SUVs all still needed a competitive Discovery model to keep them honest: this final version of the fourth generation design provided just that. Launched in the Autumn of 2013, it was now known merely as the ‘Discovery’ and offered buyers greater efficiency, higher-tech equipment and slightly smarter looks. It sold until an all-new fifth generation Discovery model was launched early in 2017.

What To Look For

The Discovery used to have a distinctly second rate reliability record, but throughout its life, the Disco 4 improved things by leaps and bounds and by the time of this post-2014-era model’s introduction, most faults had been pretty effectively ironed out. Check if a tow bar has been fitted and also check the tyres for odd wear patterns. Although the Discovery is very capable off road, there are limits to its ground clearance, so inspect the underside for signs of damage to the suspension, exhaust and front valance. The diesel engine is a tough unit and if you're test driving the car on a cold day, don't be worried if the Stop/Start system fails to kick in. The engine is programmed to keep running at temperatures below three degrees Celsius.

Our ownership survey revealed a mostly very satisfied band of customers though inevitably, there were a few issues. One owner had had problems with the instrument display putting up erroneous requests for service appointments and an incorrect ‘diesel particulate filter full’ warning. Another had had a solenoid fault, while one buyer encountered a problem with an inlet valve n the turbo sticking open. Don’t believe misleading reports suggesting that things like brake discs, brake pads and wiper blades wear quickly: they’re actually pretty durable.

On The Road

There’s still something very special about a place behind the wheel of a Discovery, the characteristically high driving position giving you a great view out over the vast square bonnet. In contrast to more car-like rivals, it’s not a cockpit-like experience with all the controls angled towards you as they would be in, say a Range Rover Sport. No, this is different - a place of command: a place to do business with the elements, be they the snake-infested swamps of the rainy season in the Serengeti or the snarled-up traffic of a wet windy morning on the school run.

View the car from this perspective and you’re less likely to wonder why you can’t throw it about with abandon and more likely to simply settle back and enjoy the class-less way it cruises through the urban landscape. It’s around 500kgs heavier than its most obvious German rivals thanks to the ‘Integrated Body Frame’ double chassis underpinnings – which is an awful lot more bulk to carry around. Having said that, the standard air suspension still manages the car’s mass and height with impressive precision. Yes it wallows a little through the corners if you’re really pushing on and ultimately, the limiting factor is grip but it’s fine for its intended market without ever feeling sporty enough to impinge on Range Rover territory.

Overall

There’s a clever, classless feel about it that nothing else from this period can quite replicate. Other rival SUVs claim to be tough but at the wheel, you’re always a little hesitant to see them prove that. A Discovery’s different, with a sheer depth of capability that’s constantly tempting you into finding reasons to test it – to enjoy what it can do. Potholed tracks no longer need to tackled at a snail’s pace, the softest roadside verges become viable turning opportunities and any muddy bank cries out to be driven down and up again, just for the heck of it. In contrast, some other sportier large SUVs can feel, well, rather silly. But then, this is a different way to go in this segment. A uniquely capable car of its kind and a British success story that we should be proud of.