SUNWHEELS recently had the pleasure of engaging with Africa’s majestic gentle giants at an elephant sanctuary outside Bela-Bela, Limpopo.
Jaguar Land Rover invited us for a day to experience its equally majestic new Land Rover Discovery 5.
And as powerful and beautiful creature an elephant is, the Discovery shares the same qualities.
I didn’t have the opportunity to test the new Discovery’s off-road capabilities as we mainly drove on tar on our way to Bela-Bela and back, but its predecessor was an off-road warrior. On tar, the Discovery 5 performed like a dream – smooth as good old jazz and expensive whisky.
The SUV features two versions – a new 3.0-litre straight-six Ingenium engine, both petrol and diesel.
The petrol version features 48V mild hybrid electric vehicle technology.
This P360 power train offers outputs of 265kW and 500Nm. It sprints from 0-100km/h in 6,7 seconds. The new D300 six-cylinder Ingenium diesel replaces the previous SD4 and SDV6 diesels. It delivers 221kW and a mighty 650Nm, and accelerates to 100km/h in 6,8 seconds. What’s more, the Disco 5 had a facelift inside and out.
The Discovery boasts new LED headlights and tail lights as well as front and rear bumpers.
Jumping inside the seven-seater, you can expect comfort and luxury. The massaging seats in the front are great, but leave the passengers in the back green with envy.
The Discovery is spacious and offers more than enough legroom, even for tall people in the back.
The load space is more than decent while the boot offers 258L of luggage space, even when the seven seats are in use.
And if you want to charge your cellphone, no problem, whether you’re in the back or front.
The centre console has been tweaked, and now features a 11,4-inch, full HD touch screen.
The Discovery also features 12,3-inch interactive driver display, and the new one provides high-definition 3D mapping.
The head-up display is optional, but once you get used to it, it’s a luxury you don’t want to do without.
The new Discovery is a mighty beast with loads of luxury and comfort, but it will make a dent in any bulging wallet.
Pricing:
Discovery D300 S – R1 452 700
Discovery D300 SE R-Dynamic – at R1 561 200
Discovery D300 HSE R-Dynamic – R1 675 900
Discovery P360 S– R1 487 600
Discovery P360 SE R-Dynamic – R1 596 100
Discovery P360 HSE R-Dynamic – R1 710 900
Jaguar Land Rover made this review possible.
