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First revealed at the Frankfurt Motor Show in September, 1989, Land Rover Discovery celebrates 30 years of all-terrain adventure this year. With five generations, 300 global awards and more than 1.7 million sales under its belt, the Discovery nameplate has proven itself as an icon of capability and versatility for three decades.
The luxurious family adventure vehicle we know today began life as a research project named “Project Jay” in 1986. The study was conceived to develop a vehicle to slot between the robust Defender and more upmarket Range Rover at a time when Land Rover’s lineup comprised only two vehicles.
Discovery 1: With a distinct stepped roofline and upper Alpine windows the first Discovery arrived with a fresh take on styling in the SUV segment. Its airy cabin, tiered theater-style seating (with optional sixth and seventh jump seats) and hard-wearing surfaces were targeted at families with an appetite for adventure.
The first Discovery landed in Africa late in 1991 in a more practical five-door guise. Interestingly, the South African market was the first outside of Europe and the Middle East to introduce this body style. The Discovery 1 featured a 3.5-litre V8 petrol engine
Discovery 2: Discovery 2, also known as “Series II” debuted in 1999 and was a more sophisticated evolution of its predecessor. Its design was instantly recognisable with similar proportions and shape, but was in fact 98 per cent new.
Additions for Series II included active suspension with rear air springs and self-levelling functionality. To make it even more off-road capable, the second-generation Discovery also saw new items such as Hill Descent Control (HDC), traction control and electronic brake distribution which were said to render the now deleted locking centre differential redundant.
Discovery 3: Revealed in 2004, the third-generation Discovery brought with it several objectives for Land Rover. This vehicle was to set new benchmarks for design, comfort and refinement in the SUV segment, while also increasing on-and off-road performance.
Where the Series II could be considered an evolution of the original, Discovery 3 was indeed an all-new model which introduced new levels of quality and reliability to the Land Rover brand. Out was the traditional ‘body-on-frame’ chassis and in was a higher-tech monocoque design for improved ride and comfort.
Discovery 4: October 2009 saw the launch of the Discovery 4 – a modest stylistic upgrade over the third generation but one that brought with it improved dynamics, a new range of efficient engines and far more hi-tech features.
Inside the Discovery 4 gained improved seat designs, LED mood lighting, a TFT instrument cluster, USB ports, revised touch screen functionality and a dedicated iPod input among other niceties. High Beam Assist automatically dipped headlights for oncoming traffic at night, keyless entry and start was added, and a Surround View camera system made its way into Discovery for the first time, allowing drivers to see 360-degrees around the vehicle from the infotainment screen.
Discovery: Land Rover’s self-proclaimed ‘Best family SUV in the World’, the All-New Discovery, was introduced to Africa in July, 2017 {AND IN Nigeria, through Coscharis Motors Limited}.
The fifth and current generation Discovery represents a massive jump in style, tech, comfort and capability over its predecessors. Though everyday ingenuity has been at the heart of every Discovery for the past 30 years, the latest signals a transformation from cogs to code in a digital age.
Discovery Landmark Edition: Due for sub-Sahara African launch in October, the new Discovery Landmark Edition celebrates 30 years of adventuring in a value-packed showcase specification.
Using an already well-appointed Discovery SE as a starting point, the Landmark Edition adds a Dynamic Pack, which includes a more aggressive front bumper and Narvik Black mesh grille and fender vents. Narvik Black nameplate scripting on the bonnet and tailgate is also paired with unique Landmark badging on the tailgate.
Kingsley Holgate: Legendary explorer, humanitarian and global Land Rover brand ambassador Kingsley Holgate has used Discoverys on various expeditions for more than 10 years.
In 2009 Kingsley and his team departed South Africa in a Discovery 3 on a 100-day ‘Boundless Southern Africa Expedition”. Since then Holgate and crew have completed 12 other expeditions with Discoverys including his ‘Journey to Juba’ to celebrate the first Independence Day for South Sudan; “All Afrika” where a Discovery hitched a ride on a C130 transport aircraft to rescue an abused baby chimpanzee named Claude in the Central African Republic; and ‘Extreme East’ to visit war-torn Somalia’s Ras Xaafun – the most easterly point of Africa – to name a few.Most recently Kingsley and his team successfully took a pair of new Discoverys from Cape Town to Kathmandu.
