Motoring correspondent Alan Douglas puts a Land Rover Discovery SE R-Dynamic through its muddy paces
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The Land Rover community includes some committed people who like nothing more than spending their weekends up to their axles in thick glaur.
Having said that, the funeral of our late Queen Elizabeth the Second has shown the executive Range Rover can happily take on a sophisticated role as luxury, secure transport fit for a rack of Royals including the new King Charles the Third.
But there is a feeling among serious mud-pluggers that the ultimate 4x4, across the range, has gone soft.
So when I got hold of the latest version of the middle brother, the Discovery – in this case an SE R-Dynamic with the three-litre, six-cylinder diesel mild hybrid - I thought I should see if it was still up to the job. On the road it is delightfully smooth and relaxing but with the challenges of the Angus hills on my doorstep, I set off to see if it could still happily pull on its muddy boots for an adventure on the high moors.
Unlike the original early 80s versions, the latest Discovery is happy to do all the work for itself, where in auto offroad mode it will decide the best settings for the conditions. Alternatively you can take more control and select settings for sand, gravel, mud, rock crawl or wading through standing water. The only other decision you have to make is whether to call on Hill Descent Control to maintain a set speed as you go down a steep drop, and low range gearing for extra traction.
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The latest model is the most technologically advanced yet and amazingly rugged under the sophisticated surface.
My particular Angus glen is a patchwork of grouse moors criss-crossed by rough but navigable tracks to the shooting butts which pepper the heather-clad hills.
They are not publicly accessible except on foot for serious walkers but as a resident and on good terms with the estate, I do occasionally venture along them to experience the magnificent solitude they offer.....and try out the latest 4x4 toys.
Even on standard Pirelli Scorpion Zero road tyres over massive 21-inch dark grey alloys, the Disco never hesitated, automatically adjusting its height and traction to deal with the challenging conditions.
At times the going was difficult where the solid rock surface gave way to muddy, soft peat but I never felt I was asking it to do something it wasn’t capable of.
Up and up we churned and bumped to the highest point which according to the central display was a touch over 2500 feet or just under 500 feet short of a Munro....and still at the wheel of a sophisticated luxury machine which will happily hose down and scrub up for a night on the town.
It came with All Terrain Progress Control as part of the £500 option of the Advanced off-road Capability Pack and active rear locking differential (another £1080). With just short of 290 mms of ground clearance and a wading depth of almost a metre and a brainbox of clever electronics it is supremely capable and can handle almost whatever is put before it, although in reality most will rarely tackle anything more demanding than the local supermarket car park.
It is packed with equipment including scrolling indicators, twin panoramic roofs, an electrically adjustable steering column, upgraded 400w stereo, blind spot monitoring, 18-way heated seats with memory and for an extra £1,130, an electrically deployable tow ball which pops out from under the rear bodywork when you press a button in the bootspace.
There’s a powered flap which drops down from the boot to act as a useful perch when changing muddy boots or for somewhere to shelter under the overhead tailgate.
The 11.4 inch central touchscreen is complex and fiddly but there is no doubt that despite its smart outfit, the latest Discovery is well worthy of wearing the established Land Rover badge.
CAR: Land Rover Discovery SE R-Dynamic D250 AWD Auto
PRICE: £59,605 (£64,650 as tested)
ENGINE: 2996cc 6 cyl diesel mild hybrid electric
POWER: 249 hp
TORQUE: 570 Nm
PERFORMANCE: Top speed 120 mph 0-60mph 7.6 secs
ECONOMY: 34 mpg combined
CO2 EMISSIONS: 225 g/km
TOWING CAPACITY: 3500 kgs (braked)
