In his review for The West Australian, Mogens Johansen acknowledges the competition in the segment to create a good looking, spacious and practical full-size SUV. He felt the designers at Land Rover nailed it with a vehicle that “looks like a spacecraft designed for planet Earth”. As he set out for a weekend tour of Western Australia’s magical South West Capes, he discovered just how capable this “spacecraft” was.
Once inside, Mogens was taken by the sense of space in the luxurious seven seat cabin, with all the high-tech contained in a functional and minimalist design. The hub to all the tech, the Pivi Pro infotainment system’s big 11.4-inch HD touchscreen, is “intuitive and easy to navigate the menus”, with many key functions controlled from the steering wheel. Comfortable 14-way adjustable front seats and dual-zone climate control enhanced the sense of luxury.
A Refined and Comfortable Drive
As Mogens set off with adaptive cruise control and lane assist both enabled, he found the driving experience to be exceptional, both “refined and comfortable”, with the 3.0-litre in-line six-cylinder MHEV engine purring quietly at less than 1500rpm. Heading off-road on the Three Bears 4WD track between Cape Naturaliste and Yallingup, he switched the drive mode to Sand, raised the suspension to off-road setting and started a gentle climb up a hill that soon turned steep. The wheel ruts got deeper and there were a few washaways after recent heavy rain, but the Discovery handled the conditions with ease. Designed with a ground clearance of 283mm, an approach angle of up to 34 degrees and a maximum wading depth of 900mm, Mogens noted the Discovery can handle much tougher conditions effortlessly.
After his weekend away, Mogens was a fan of the space and comfort of the 2021 Discovery, and found it “an easy car to drive. It feels equally at home on and off the road”. The Pivi Pro system “sounds fantastic and the connectivity is first class”, concluding “I honestly feel like I’m nitpicking trying to find things I don’t like about this vehicle.”
