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2019 Land Rover Discovery HSE Luxury Review by David Colman


2019 Land Rover Discovery HSE Luxury (select to view enlarged photo)
2019 Land Rover Discovery HSE Luxury

Splendid design and fitting, but lacking in power

By David Colman
Special Correspondent to THE AUTO CHANNEL


PHOTO (select to view enlarged photo)
2019 Land Rover Discovery HSE Luxury
You might think that the Discovery is the junior member of the Land Rover contingent of SUVs. After all, its distinguished sibling, the Range Rover, has long been THE British off-road fixture. The Discovery, on the other hand, the Disco is a latecomer to the party, with a rather spotty record for reliability. But if you take a close look at the current Discovery, a couple of surprising facts jump off the specification sheet. Not only is the Discovery wider and taller than the Range Rover, but heavier as well. And if towing’s your game, the Disco is job rated at 8,200lbs. while the Rangie is limited to 7,715lbs. Otherwise, the two Land Rover products are closely matched in everything but engine specification and price. While the senior Range Rover runs from $89,500 to $209,500, the Discovery ranges from $52,950 to $66,800.

PHOTO (select to view enlarged photo)
2019 Land Rover Discovery HSE Luxury
Of course, that $66,800 figure is just a starting point. Our lovely Carpathian Gray Metallic HSE Luxury version was anointed with no less than $11,495 worth of optional equipment, including $1,525 for the fancy paint. Still, the differential between the Discovery and the Range Rover is decidedly vaster than the specification level separating these stalwart British products. You can slip a foot under the Queen’s tent with the Discovery but a full night’s stay with Her Majesty will require a bona fide Range Rover for admission.

Part of the reason for the price gap lies under the hood. The Discovery makes do with a supercharged V6 displacing 3 liters and producing 335hp and 332lb.-ft. of torque. The Rangie, on the other end of the spectrum, can be had with a variety of gas and diesel engines, with the top choice being a 5-liter supercharged V8 making 557hp. Now ordinarily, the V6 of the Discovery would be adequate in almost any circumstance – except propelling an SUV that weighs 5,400lbs. This combo gives you a power-to-weight ratio of 16.1lbs/hp. This, in turn, burdens the supercharged V6 with the unenviable task of motivating nearly three tons of SUV. So, it comes as no surprise that the Discovery’s throttle response is lethargic. This phenomenon is especially noticeable when starting off from rest, where throttle tip-in is particularly unrewarding.

PHOTO (select to view enlarged photo)
2019 Land Rover Discovery HSE Luxury
But the Discovery is so solicitous of your needs in so many other ways that you’re almost willing to forgive its acceleration idiosyncrasies. For example, if you pop the rear tailgate, you are confronted by a control panel overseeing interior space utilization. The first endearing feature is the power operated tailgate flap that automatically extends and retracts to permit true tail gating in the time-honored method. In addition, a bevy of additional controls allow you to drop the second and third row seatbacks automatically, in order to provide a flat loading floor for no less than 42.5 cubic feet of cargo. That is a fat 8 cubic feet more than the pricier Range Rover affords. And to top it all off, the Discovery rear panel even includes a control for raising or lowering the ride height of the vehicle to facilitate loading chores. This conglomeration of truly useful devices is really unprecedented in the SUV world.

PHOTO (select to view enlarged photo)
2019 Land Rover Discovery HSE Luxury
Then, too, there’s the inestimable graciousness of British fine design to feather this nest. Every surface, every treatment is done in stellar good taste. From the ebony leather seats with oyster trim to the inscribed treadplates at each door threshold, the interior of the Discovery HSE is a treasure of English gentility. Nothing in the décor overshadows the overall sense of tranquility bred by fine leather, artful stitching and burnished aluminum. Our test sample included the extra incentive of a $1,985 “Seven Seat Luxury Climate Control Package” that provided 4 zone climate control, leather seats with massage and driver memory, climate-controlled front and rear seats, and a heated steering wheel with an actuation button handily located on the spoke of the wheel.

Given the behemoth size of the Discovery, it handled with surprising aplomb. This road grip is in part attributable to monstrous Goodyear Eagle F1 SUV 4x4 tires measuring an impressive 275/45R21. These earth maulers are mounted on optional ($1,725) 21” diameter, 9 spoke style 9002 alloys “with Diamond Turned Finish.” That diamond treatment is perfectly suited to an aristocratic vehicle that stands so tall it literally looks down on just about everything else.

2019 LAND ROVER DISCOVERY HSE LUXURY

    ENGINE: 3.0-liter V6, supercharged
    HORSEPOWER: 335hp
    TORQUE: 332lb.-ft.
    FUEL CONSUMPTION: 16MPG City/21 MPG Highway
    PRICE AS TESTED: $79,730

HYPES: Fit and Finish Second To None

GRIPES: Poor Rear Visibility, Underpowered

STAR RATING: 9 Stars out of 10