Tuesday 9th July 2024

Land Rover launches 350hp Discovery 35th Edition

Forgotten all about Land Rover's seven-seat SUV? The quickest one yet is intended to jog your memory...

---

We haven’t heard much about the Land Rover Discovery in the past few years, and there’s a good reason for that: Defender. The firm’s newer, fancier, better-to-drive and now much more famous sibling has cannibalised sales of its seven-seat SUV to the extent that the model has been placed firmly on the back burner ahead of an eventual replacement (which may or may not be electric). But evidently there’s life in the old dag yet because Land Rover says there’s a celebratory 35th Edition incoming. 

On the one hand, you might think the prospect of some bespoke ‘XXXV’ badging and ‘Discovery’ tread plates is merely a sign that Land Rover wants to shift as many units as possible before it turns off the production line (and you wouldn’t be far wrong) but that doesn’t mean 35 years of Discovery isn’t worth celebrating. For some of that period - most notably when Discovery 3 and 4 were in their pomp - the model was arguably the Land Rover to buy. Especially if you planned on doing actual off-roading. Or big miles. 

The current version isn’t quite as special, although its maker has a useful kicker for anyone interested in the 35th Edition: it will be used to introduce the new 350hp 3.0-litre, six-cylinder Ingenium unit to the lineup. Not quite as exciting as the prospect of driving a Defender powered by the lustier, 516lb-ft-of-torque engine (because, again, it’s better to drive) but it’s notable nevertheless for resulting in the most powerful Discovery to date. Meaning that a new D350, available across the range, will drop the model’s 0-60mph time to a decidedly crisp 5.9 seconds. You’ll even be able to get a Commercial version, if you can live with a 34mpg average. 

Of course, the 35 Edition will be considerably ritzier than that. Land Rover has not supplied any pictures of the incoming flagship, but says it will get 22-inch gloss black wheels with matching spare, a panoramic roof, 20-way heated and cooled seats, four-zone climate control, a head-up display and heated steering wheel as standard. It also suggests that the new model will be available in strictly limited numbers and only in a choice of Santorini Black or Carpathian Grey. Prices start at £79,990, which, for the record, is a tiny bit cheaper than the £81,530 the eight-seat Defender 130 starts at with the same engine. Decisions, decisions. 

---

• Land Rover Discovery 5 | PH Used Buying Guide
• Land Rover Defender 130 Outbound | PH Review

[Motormouth88]

In my opinion the new defender should’ve always been the new discovery, the aesthetics make way more sense…and I’m not surprised that sales have taken a hammering, it does look quite crap still

[Snozzer]

Used to love the 'old' Discovery, the current version is just wrong. With the Defender in the line-up, I'm not even sure what the point is.

[BrettMRC]

The Discovery is much better commercial prospect than the Defender because of the way the loading area is setup.

[LimaDelta]

The Defender is the new Discovery. It has taken the slot previously occupied by the latter. I'm sure they only went with the Defender name so it could be marketed as a more pseudo-rufty-tufty, slightly rebellious vehicle choice, rather than the more family oriented, firmly middle class and sensible Discovery which lost a whole lot of character and appeal with the 5. The sales figures have clearly validated this choice. I'm not sure why JLR still offer the Discovery.

[yme402]

Current Discovery is ungainly beyond belief. From the moment the new defender was launched, it became utterly pointless.

[Red_Kite]

It's decent to drive and way more usable space than a Defender 110. Would have bought one two years ago, but LR had no stock and missing bits due to the chip shortage on the few cars they had second hand which were on for more than list! Agree it's no looker and the rear plate position is still so wrong, but as a family car I think it beats the Defender hands down

[kmpowell]

I do chuckle at all the 'hate' for the Disco 5, and the comparisons against Defender.

Defender was always intended to replace the Disco 4 market, but it arrived much later than Lr planned. Discovery V was always intended to be moved upwards towards the lux/family market (but with capability that far exceeds the competition). LR were expanding the range towards different audiences, so they are 2 different cars for 2 different audiences, and are marketed as such.

I bought my Disco 5.5 brand new in March 2021, I'm 33k miles into ownership and I honestly can't think of a better car for my needs. 4 kids and long motorway journeys are my main use case, something I did in a 'loan' Defender whilst mine was in for service. There's no comparison, the Disco is leagues ahead of the Defender for comfort and mile munching. Come rain, snow or shine my Disco deals (with ease!) anything I can chuck at it. It's the perfect balance of luxury, comfort, space, practical and performance. Being the facelift D300, also means it's MHEV, making it very rapid, and also economical (40MPG easily).

Sure, the numberplate is to one side, but that honestly doesn't matter does it. So to the haters, you can scoff all you want, but I can tell you from first hand experience that the Disco is a pretty much an unbeatable all-rounder for what it's marketed/intended.

p.s. Just don't run one without a warranty.

[generationx]

We had a Disco 5 up until recently. It was nice to be in, great at travelling long distances and could swallow anything.
Until, at the end of last year, it developed a repeated overnight thirst for batteries with the solution seemingly untraceable.

Sold, naturally, to buy a Range Rover

[Deranged Rover]

So, still hideous and still diesel only (in the UK).

Meh.

[Quhet]

Somewhat telling that the main article doesn't actually show a proper picture of a Disco 5

[Spuffington]

kmpowell said:

I do chuckle at all the 'hate' for the Disco 5, and the comparisons against Defender.

Defender was always intended to replace the Disco 4 market, but it arrived much later than Lr planned. Discovery V was always intended to be moved upwards towards the lux/family market (but with capability that far exceeds the competition). LR were expanding the range towards different audiences, so they are 2 different cars for 2 different audiences, and are marketed as such.

I bought my Disco 5.5 brand new in March 2021, I'm 33k miles into ownership and I honestly can't think of a better car for my needs. 4 kids and long motorway journeys are my main use case, something I did in a 'loan' Defender whilst mine was in for service. There's no comparison, the Disco is leagues ahead of the Defender for comfort and mile munching. Come rain, snow or shine my Disco deals (with ease!) anything I can chuck at it. It's the perfect balance of luxury, comfort, space, practical and performance. Being the facelift D300, also means it's MHEV, making it very rapid, and also economical (40MPG easily).

Sure, the numberplate is to one side, but that honestly doesn't matter does it. So to the haters, you can scoff all you want, but I can tell you from first hand experience that the Disco is a pretty much an unbeatable all-rounder for what it's marketed/intended.

p.s. Just don't run one without a warranty.

Can only agree with this. I "only" have 3 kids to cart around, but found the Disco a much better prospect for doing so than the Defender 110 which we benchmarked it against. I wanted to like the Defender but it doesn't have the same comfort and refinement as the Discovery. For me there is a big difference between the two which is only obvious when you spend some time behind the wheel.

After a number of SUV's - early and recent X5's, MacanS and Cayenne GTS, I can say I find the Discovery one of the best overall packages I've had the pleasure of owning. I'm only 6months in and car has just turned 3yrs old today (also a facelifted MHEV D300) and looking forward to putting another 30-50k+ miles on it over the coming years.

EDIT: I have a R-Dynamic HSE but had a Metropolitan for several weeks; that is a beautiful trim level and I'm sure this special edition would be based upon that. I'd be quite keen to upgrade depending on where the pricing teases out.

[ChrisCh86]

I recently got a ferry with a Disco 5. The owner had to leave the engine running whilst waiting for the ferry - for an hour, whilst he (and family) popped off to the duty free.

I found out why at the end of the crossing - they'd had to turn the engine off for the crossing, but couldn't get it to start again when we got back to England.

[Mr Tidy]

I just can't see the point of these mobile breakdowns in the UK!

We don't have deserts or swamps so you might as well get a proper car that doesn't cost silly money, look like a shed, drive like a van, drink fuel, etc. or have a tendency to breakdown frequently.

[Neville Contractor]

The new Defender is a Defender - that's it. As a Discovery 4 owner, me an many other Discovery 4 owners do not want our cars to be associated with either a new Defender (tiny inside) or a Discovery 5 (tiny inside in comparison and er, silly styling which it makes it look like it should have been called a Evoquery). Plenty of my clients reports that a Disco 5 is their preferred mind, but I hope the Disco6 is a contemporary and boxy new Disco4.

[LimaDelta]

Neville Contractor said:

The new Defender is a Defender - that's it. As a Discovery 4 owner, me an many other Discovery 4 owners do not want our cars to be associated with either a new Defender (tiny inside) or a Discovery 5 (tiny inside in comparison and er, silly styling which it makes it look like it should have been called a Evoquery). Plenty of my clients reports that a Disco 5 is their preferred mind, but I hope the Disco6 is a contemporary and boxy new Disco4.

As an ex-Discovery 4 owner I have to agree that it was essentially 'peak Land Rover' (and the contemporary L322 FFRR). They are yet to produce anything better, and since then the company has been moving further to the urban & prestige end of the scale and further away from the rural and utility end.

A Disco 6 essentially reworking the 4 (like the new Land Cruiser, but actually available to buy ) would be a winner in my eyes.