Land Rover is the second oldest four-wheel drive brand in the world (after Jeep) and has been building arguably ‘the best 4x4xFar’ since 1948, when the first Land Rover was officially launched. The difference between that first 1948 Land Rover Defender and today’s Land Rover Discovery 4 would be incomprehensible for the engineers of the Series I vehicle and it’d be incomprehensible for us too, if it weren’t for the Land Rover Experience.

With centres all around the world, the Land Rover Experience offers 4×4 training, team building, adventure and full-scale expeditions, for anyone, regardless of whether or not you own a Land Rover. Here in South Africa, we have three centres spread between Cape Town, Durban and Johannesburg, each with their own instructors who are accredited and re-assessed annually by Land Rover UK to ensure they offer world-class instruction.

Land Rover invited us to an introductory course at their Cape Town centre, which is based at the Simonsig Wine Estate near Stellenbosch. The day began with an overview of the 4×4 drivetrain, the basics about differentials, as well as how, and when, they distribute engine power between the axles and wheels. In addition, participants were also given a quick overview of the Terrain Response system fitted to current Land Rover models (apart from the Defender), which offers five presets for tackling various driving conditions, namely: Special Programs Off, Grass/Gravel/Snow; Mud/Ruts; Sand; Rock Crawl.

Onto the driving portion of the experience and we were assigned a Freelander 2 to play with, although every model was represented (Land Rover Defender, Discovery, Freelander, Range Rover Sport, Range Rover Evoque) bar the standard Range Rover. The introductory course essentially puts theory to practice, with obstacles designed the showcase the breadth of the Land Rover’s capabilities. These included a water crossing, which was shallow due to Cape Town’s lack of current winter rainfall, but which the vehicles would have had no problem crossing at depths of up to between 500 and 700 mm. A steep and rutted ascent also required some negotiation, which served to highlight the difference in momentum required by the Freelander and Evoque compared to the Discovery and Range Rover Sport, which feature infinitely-variable locking centre differentials and rear differentials, allowing them to crawl up inclines rather than having to run.

Our party also traversed a slippery and rocky stretch of single track, which showed off the ground clearance of the vehicles, specifically the Freelander and Evoque. Cross-axle situations are always fun and with a slight incline as well as plenty of muddy water, the Freelander’s Haldex central coupling and traction control system performed remarkably well. All vehicles also stretched their proverbial legs in the form of suspension articulation, especially the Discovery 4, with its self-levelling air suspension that has a 175 mm range of adjustment between its lowest ‘access mode’ and its maximum ride height. Our route also include some side slope driving, as well as an exercise in trusting the hill descent control.

The half-day introductory course proved a solid reminder as to the capabilities of Land Rover’s products, but more than that, it also highlighted the experience itself. Few examples come to mind when thinking of a professionally run, world-class 4×4 driving experience that is conveniently located near a major city centre and offers a safe yet thrilling driving experience. If you have an SUV and always plan to take it off-road, but never seem to get around to it, or if you’re planning on buying an SUV because the idea of spending weekends away with the family is appealing, or even if you’ve just never been off-road in a 4×4, do yourself a favour and spend a few hours with the Land Rover Experience, we guarantee you’ll leave with a smile.

The Land Rover Discovery 4 is the first model to be produced since Tata bought Land Rover from Ford back in 2008. The latest generation Discovery is streets, or rather mountains, ahead of its Discovery 3 predecessor.

The practical and rugged looks of the Disco 3 have been superseded by a smoother and more toned-down exterior. Colour-coded bumpers, new LED-equipped head- and tail-light units, as well as a new front grille and matching front fender vents, give the Discovery 4 a classy look without losing any of its macho character. The Discovery’s polished looks give it wide-appeal with trendy urbanites, but the draw back comes when taking it off-road where you can’t help but be a little cautious for fear of defacing the 19-inch wheels, colour-coded bumpers and in the case of our press vehicle, the ‘Nara Bronze’ metallic paint work.

Unlike the subtle exterior changes, the interior has been improved upon considerably. The plush, almond coloured, leather trim and soft-touch dashboard of our press vehicle were contrast against ‘Grand Black Laquer’ inserts on the door panels and centre console. In addition, virtually every set of functions is bordered by brushed aluminium, including the air vents, radio controls, climate controls, gear selector, headlight switch and more. Occupants are carried in style, with comfortable seats, ample legroom and large windows to the outside world. Two rear seats that make up the seven in total, are stored neatly beneath the floor of the cargo area and are easy to raise when required. In this 7th row too, enough leg and shoulder room is available. In addition, each row of seats has a sun roof overhead, as well as individual stereo jacks and volume controls for audio. The build quality is of the highest standards, with all controls having a solid feel to them. Interior noise is limited to some wind roar around the upright A-pillars when travelling at speed and some road noise from the large 255/55 AT/V-rated tyres, depending on the road surface. Otherwise the Discovery 4 is decidedly cosseting and undeniably opulent, but it doesn’t stop there.

A plethora of technology lies hidden beneath what ranks as one of the Discovery 4′s best traits, a set of the simple and intuitive interfaces. The LCD colour touch screen provides the gateway to the satellite navigation system, mobile phone connectivity, 4×4 information, 5 video camera’s positioned around the vehicle, as well as superb sound quality from the 14-speaker Harman/Kardon sound system. In addition, the latest TDV6 HSE also comes standard with separate climate controls for rear passengers, tyre-pressure monitoring, adaptive front headlamps including cornering lights and 8-way electronically adjustable front seats. The Discovery 4 HSE models are also fitted with Tow Assist, which utilises the 5 surround cameras and trajectory guides on the dash-mounted colour screen to aid parking maneuvers when towing and also when preparing to hitch a trailer to the vehicle. The Terrain Response controller, located at the base of the centre console, is even more intuitive for setup of the SUV’s 4×4 functions, including the diff-lock setting, Hill Descent control and height adjustable air suspension. Five pre-set off-road setups are available; General driving, Grass/Gravel/Snow, Sand, Mud and Ruts, Rock crawl, which serve to make light work of almost any off-road terrain. In fact, on our undulating and sometimes rocky test route, the traction control, diff-locks and suspension worked so well that we only ever had one instance of wheel slip and that was when provoked.

There is another good reason for such positive tractability and that is the new 3.0-litre V6 turbo-diesel engine, coupled with a 6-speed ZF automatic transmission. Based on the previous 2.7-litre TDV6 engine, but redesigned to deliver higher performance, lower emissions and better fuel economy, the new 3.0-litre engine uses sequential turbochargers to help produce 180 kW at 4 000 r/min and 600 Nm of torque at 2 000 r/min. Significantly, the new 3.0-litre diesel offers 500 Nm of torque from idling speed and within 500 milliseconds. From behind the wheel the experience is one of one of instant response and power, offering enough gusto to shrink perceptions of the vehicle’s 2 583 kilogram kerb weight and which the 0 – 100 km/h sprint time of 9.6 seconds illustrates. Off the beaten track, the immediate low-down torque allows the Disco to crawl over challenging terrain with the dignity its character exudes. The transmission provides discreet gear changes and has a sequential mode for more control by the driver if desired. Together with the advanced diesel engine, fuel consumption is 9.3 L/100km on average and CO2 emissions are 244 g/km, representing improvements of 9 percent and 10 percent respectively over the Discovery 3.

In addition, Land Rover’s focus on the Discovery’s suspension has resulted in a superb ride quality that rivals many luxury sedans on the road – an environment in which the majority of Discovery’s will dutifully serve most of their life. Equipped with variable ratio power-assisted steering, the Discovery 4 is easy to direct in the urban setting, but its sensitive nature requires a little extra attention to maintain a straight line on the open road, especially when plagued by crosswinds that catch the car’s upright silhouette. It’s not a vehicle that takes to corners like a proverbial duck to water and when driven enthusiastically, the stability control quickly steps in to prevent loss of traction – by which time you’d be quite happy for it to do so, having slipped to edge of your seat in accordance with the associated body roll. However, the Discovery 4 is best enjoyed at a leisurely pace, emerrsed in luxury and refined performance.

Priced at R750 995, it may initially seem a little costly, but there are other 7-seaters that command far more, while their specification and capabilities remain similar. Essentially a baby Range Rover Vogue, the Discovery 4 HSE is undoubtedly one of the best premium 4×4′s available.

What we like…

• Excellent power and economy from the 3.0-litre diesel.
• Refinement, luxury and build quality.
• The Harman/Kardon sound system is simply one of the best we’ve sampled.

What we would like…

• A ‘Range to empty’ indicator on the on-board computer that recalculates when adding less than a full tank of diesel.
• An iPod connection that also recharges the device and is fully compatible with an iPhone.
• To be able to completely block out light from the sunroof, as opposed to the dappled light that filters through the netted screen.

Update: Land Rover SA has advised that an iPod adapter is available that will recharge your device and integrate with the satellite controls on the steering wheel – R909.25 excl. VAT.