Just 17.6cm has been added by Land Rover 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 speedometer is hard to read. Still, with the upgrades came a high-grade touchscreen multimedia system that noticeably betters the system fitted to the Discovery 3 in terms of its usability and graphics quality.
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 2.5 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 airbags and optional curtain airbags for the third row and you have a car that should deliver the safety of those onboard without fail.
