The Driver - Spring 2017 TheDriver_Spring_2017_v4_singles | Page 6

FIRST DRIVE
2017 Land Rover
Discovery:
still the all-versatile warrior
by
David Miller
S
t. George, UT – Snow-covered mountain peaks, large red
rock formations and a deep sand dune were all part of a
playground for the all-new 2017 Land Rover Discovery.
Seems fitting for the capabilities of a Land Rover product,
even though they’re customers rarely take them to task. On
this two-day journey through the heart of both Utah and
Arizona desert country that crossed into Zion National Park
and Coral Pink Sand Dunes State Park, Land Rover aimed to
prove how capable its newly-sculpted Discovery still is.
The Discovery nameplate may not be new
globally, but in North America, it’s taking over
for the LR4. A refreshing change to an
off-roading SUV that needed a complete
overhaul
from
its mundane name to
by David
Miller
its aging boxy style. Canadian sales
stayed status quo for the LR4 in
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THE DRIVER
2016, but the British brand needed to aspire for more than
triple digit sales numbers, which meant being niche in its
off-road capabilities and not in the looks department as well.
A transformation in design
At 2,080 kg – 20 percent lighter (480 kg) than the LR4
with most of its construction out of aluminum – the
Discovery resembles other luxury SUVs with a rounded,
more aggressively-sculpted appearance. According to Phil
Simmons, Land Rover’s Studio Director for Exterior Design,
Land Rover wanted to “build on the [Range Rover]
Evoque’s styling cues that resonated
emotionally with customers. A
progressive more adventurous
design that goes along with
the brand’s heritage.”