Just 17.6cm has been added to the length of the Discovery, but this has transformed it from a cramped five-seater with two occasional seats to a seven-seater of unparalleled space and comfort.
Land Rover has chosen to throw some hard, durable plastics in against the soft-touch stuff. Some buyers might not welcome such utilitarian touches, but they work superbly, lending the Discovery a useable edge.
It isn’t perfect, though. The centre console is over-complicated and it’s a shame the hi-fi and sat-nav displays aren’t integrated. The speedometer is hard to read, and the touch-screen sat-nav requires a crystal-squishingly firm push to operate.
However, if the Discovery doesn’t offer enough space, quality, comfort and things for children to twiddle, then nothing will. The three individual chairs in the second row have excellent support, and the foldaway third row is brilliantly executed: simple to erect and big enough for adults.
The Discovery’s 2.7 tonnes make it a somewhat intimidating device to drive, but factor in the enormous body structure, the individual three-point belts, the twin front airbags, full-length curtain side bags and optional curtain bags for the third row and you have a car that should deliver the safety of those onboard without fail.
The scope of available specifications is extensive. The more basic £26,995 version comes with a manual ’box, coil springs and manual air-con, while a heavily-loaded car will cost around £43,000 – and the Discovery’s core competences shine through even at the lowest price level. Airing on the thrifty side will reduce losses on what will doubtless be a slow-depreciating vehicle anyway.
Fuel consumption isn’t even a diesel Disco’s strong point. You’ll struggle to beat 25mpg in everyday use. We saw a best of 26.8mpg, but that fell to 16.1mpg at the track. At least the 82-litre tank will manage 442 miles between fills at our 24.5mpg average over 800 test miles.