ROAD TEST
Land Rover Discovery : An unfortunate loss of identity
Mark Smyth tries to ignore the design issues and appreciates the superb capability of the new Land Rover Discovery
During the week that we had the new Land Rover Discovery on test, I managed to chat to a number of owners of the previous generation Discovery 4. One owner in particular was very vocal, saying he is about to replace his vehicle and would rather replace it with another Disco 4 than buy a model that "looks like a Fortuner". Maybe he was being harsh, but his point is valid in that the Discovery has lost its identity slightly, ditching its traditional go-anywhere looks in favour of pandering to the urban dwellers. And then there is that rear. It is impossible not to bring it up. What was Land Rover design chief Gerry McGovern thinking? It’s terrible. If a facelift comes sooner than expected, we won’t be surprised, but the sales numbers will dictate whether any damage has been done or maybe we are just resisting the major change. The design is not the only issue because as good as the interior tech is, Land Rover stopped well short of including the tech that was promised in the concept. ...
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