Mass inflicts great compromises on the Discovery’s straight-line performance potential: pitted against a body this big, 325lb ft equates to just 120 per tonne. All is not lost, though. Land Rover has countered by providing unparalleled refinement and a transmission capable of wringing maximum efficiency from the last turn of the crank.
So despite taking 12.2sec (auto) to hit 60mph, and needing 42.8sec to stagger from rest to 100mph, the impression is of a car that has just enough grunt, combined with a deportment not seen in this class before.
At idle the Discovery’s engine emits only the faintest noise, and no vibration. It is occasionally perceptible on the move, but only as the pleasant hum of a cultured V6. Throttle response is good and, crucially, it has more step-off thrust than the poor 3.8sec 0-30mph time would suggest. Once rolling, however, it takes an age to add 20mph to overtake, and this will doubtless be the biggest discouragement for some potential owners.
Despite weighing the best part of three tonnes, the Discovery’s suspension manages the car’s mass – and height – with unerring precision and control, but the almost sports-saloon levels of roadholding and agility found in the X5 remain beyond the capabilities of the Disco.
Ride comfort is everything in this car. Both large and medium-sized intrusions are dismissed with silent disdain. Only very sharp, small irregularities catch the car off-guard and send a shimmy through the bodyshell.
More difficult to pin down is the way the Discovery seems to always be at a saunter regardless of where the speedo needle is pointing: this is a chassis that never allows itself to be flustered on-road and whose limiting factor is grip. There’s a margin of stabilising understeer and on wet asphalt it doesn’t take too much effort to have the DSC stability system chiming in. But overall, the car’s imperturbability is mightily impressive.