Land Rover Discovery LR4 test drive since 2009 SUV

Land Rover Discovery 4 V8

The British chose a very unusual place for the presentation of Land Rover Discovery 4
The scene is a secret object on the border of England and Scotland. No photography allowed. A huge coat of arms hanging on the wall looks especially symbolic. Leo and a unicorn on the sides of the shield are actually each on their own territory. Under the coat of arms are huge pipes on which the life of Edinburgh depends. Behind an innocent brick wall is 74 million tons of water. What are we doing here in this underwater bunker? We are present at the presentation of the new Land Rover Discovery 4.
Put in appearance
Outwardly, the fourth -generation Discovery has changed so little that some experts refuse it novelty, calling this model a deep facelifting, while bearing in mind that it is hidden in the high -tech bowels of the British SUV that you can’t notice. What to do! Each time, when updating their cars, designers Land Rover have to not so much emphasize the novelty as to demonstrate continuity. We should not forget about the fundamental principles of the famous company, one of which says: the smaller the design, the better. The car should look natural, proceedings. With all its appearance, Land Rover seems to demonstrate that in fact the world is much easier than some think.
In a word, outwardly in Disco 4, much more was preserved than appeared: this is a stepped, two -row on the amphitheater of the third row, and the familiar bend of the lower edge of the rear window, and the traditional rigidity of the boxed forms in combination with intelligent four -eyed. Nevertheless, the ability to bent the fingers of Discovery 4 has the ability to bent. Firstly, the type of false radiator lattice has changed: instead of a ram-like front with powerful crossbars and a bumper, with which a small demonstration of ecologists could be dispersed, cell crosses characteristic of all the latest Land Rover models, which significantly added a new Disco openwork. The headlights still resemble the intersecting diagrams of some very successful translucent business, according to which two partners are conducting the most perplex dispute about the shared participation in it. In a word, very intriguing and relevant. But a whole constellation of LEDs arose around. These luminous points designers Land Rover were enough for a lot of I. Their scattering now announces the appearance of a new Discovery, like a soundless drum fraction - the climax of the presentation. Similar fraction of the rear lights equally effectively accompanies his care.
Twenty -inch discs are now available as a factory option. Side outlets under the mirrors are now visible on both sides. Three new bodies of the body are offered.
Level above
Honestly, I really liked the previous image of Discovery, even if his bumper was somewhat reminiscent of the stylized Kangurin. The fourth -generation front -line has become easier, which cannot but cause sympathy. The chin more ironed is shaved, which improved both the appearance and aerodynamics. But at the same time, the new Disco is much less naive. With several strokes, its creators transformed his appearance quite radically. I dare even say that in his common spirit, he changed fundamentally. It has become much longer and no longer looks like a simplified and reduced version of the flagship model of the company, as if collected from a non -child designer LEGO. The paradox is that with external unification with other new generation Land Rover models, Discovery 4 looks now as a completely independent value. And this becomes even more noticeable when meeting with the salon.
If the exterior is evolution, then the interior is a revolution. Everything is new here. And the point is not only in such bright nuances as the illumination of door handles or better and better materials that are not inferior to the standards of the flagship Range Rover. The point is in a fundamentally different architecture: instead of the vertical log house of the former central console, for working with which the skills of climbers were needed, a plane more located towards the driver appeared. The new steering wheel with two joysticks and a bunch of buttons allows you to not at all flex the hands on the controls of secondary systems. There are many fashionable things - from connectors for all possible types of entertainment devices to a liquid crystal display on the instrument panel. The engine is now started by a button. New seats are distinguished by the best underground and an elongated pillow.
But the transfer of the Terran Response system from the deep rearguard for the lever of the transmission to a position that is more corresponding to its roles in the worldview of the British company is especially successful with the ergonomic (and political) point of view. Now this Land Rover ideology navel flaunts in the most prominent place, with its interplanetary hieroglyphs unequivocally recalling the off -road capabilities of Discovery. And these possibilities have increased even more.
At home
Land Rover in Scotland is at home, and therefore the routes laid by the organizers of tests in the vicinity of Edinburgh struck the variety of types of automobile journalists. For lunch, we could stop in an abandoned stone hut in the middle of the heather valley, and arrange a mandatory Five-O-Clock in a castle, an abundance of tower and a scope of facades resembling a mixture of Kafka's phantasmagoria and blanmange Disneyland. The lawns and trees around this stone cake looked like every blade of grass and a leaf passed through the hands of the Count's hairdresser. Accordingly, the surrounding lands did not resemble the battlefields familiar to us for the harvest. Hares on the right and left played a covers with sheep. Prohopaths, similar to liliputal ostriches, snooped a across the road. All this tuned in a lyrical way. But sometimes the carelessness of the organizers surprised.
The route brought us to the river bank, in former times, which must have served an insurmountable border between two warring kingdoms. In such cases, always somewhere nearby you notice Defender or a piano similar to him in bushes with a cable ready. And here - nobody! Rise as you know! But that is the beauty of the luxury Land Rover, that they even know what and how to do without a hint. In such a car you are everywhere like at home.
You just need to put the Terran Response regulator to the right position, and you can calmly admire how the car drives a wave that washed off from the enemy shore of the gaping photographers. And there are situations when amateur performances with pedals are directly contraindicated. For example, when descending on a slippery clay slope. The main thing here is not to touch anything. Hill Descent Control will follow everything himself. And now this system is complemented by the Gradient Release Control, picking up the ineptly released brakes on a very steep descent and suppresses the car’s attempt to gain inertia in the germ of the car, which can end with a bumper ravine, and at the corners of the congress, which is geometrically capable of Defender, and completely Put the car on the priest. We also had such an opportunity.
It was worth turning from the field into the forest, the count's park of the Jurassic period began. This is where it was possible to twist the outstanding round circle Terrain Response: dirt-i-river, grass-i-sneg, sand-i-stone, rock and roll. Disco looks intelligent, but is quite capable of arranging a good chanson on forestry. Like the new Range Rover, the start of the start on the sand has appeared. The program of stones is finalized. One of the manifestations of gearing skilled skilleration is the ability to use gas and brake pedal at the same time for more controlled advancement among boulders. In an experienced driver, the car in such cases goes tightly, and does not dangle like a pendulum. Now Terrain Response has also mastered this specific skill: in the Rock CRAWL mode when driving at a speed of less than 5 km/h on the first or rear gear, some pressure is supplied to its brakes.
However, the off -road capabilities of Discovery have previously inspired the city resident. But its main habitat is still asphalt. Life is a norm of life for a modern person, so the main attention in the development of the fourth generation was nevertheless paid to improving his ability to ride along a normal road.
Out of the blue
The key task from an engineering point of view was to transform D4 behavior on asphalt, ”said Stuart Fritt, chief engineer of the project. The decisive role in the impressive progress that Disco has reached in this direction belongs to the new engines-the LR-TDV6 3.0 turbodiesel and the atmospheric gasoline LR-V8. The diesel volume increased from 2.7 liters in the previous model to 3 liters in the current one. As a result, its power increased by 29%, and the thrust - by 36%, while fuel consumption decreased by 9.7%. The new diesel is equipped with two turbochargers of the original consistent parallel circuit. Representatives of the company claim that this is the first system of this type, adapted for the V-shaped motor. Each series of cylinders has its own turbine, but they have different performance. The main work is done by a large turbine, the small one wakes up when maximum efforts are required. That is, turbines can work simultaneously, but complementing each other. A large turbine as if creates a mighty bass background, and a small one, thanks to less inertia, soars a playful fistula over it. As a result, the engine with idle revolutions goes to a traction of 500 nm in just 500 ms.
But for us, the inhabitants of mysterious Russia, the emergence of a new atmospheric gasoline engine with Jaguar development was even more important news. We wrote about him and his innovative systems recently, presenting the updated Range Rover. I only remind you that in comparison with the 4.4-liter predecessor, its volume has been brought to 5 liters, and the power increased by 25%.
Needless to say, the increase in horsepower at least a quarter, coupled with cunning innovations, was very noticeable in a very noticeable way both on the dynamic characteristics and the cultural aspect of the engine and transmission, referring to their responsiveness and obedience. Now that the driver of Disco hears the word culture, he wants to press gas even more. And the car will immediately do what the right leg wishes. In addition, the suspension elements and the steering system are finalized, so the car is more acute and less roll on the turns. In accordance with increased potential, the brakes increased.
New motors are equipped only with an automatic gearbox. Mechanics is available with an old 2.7-liter diesel engine, which will be offered along with new engines. Prices for a version with a 3-liter diesel engine start from 2 million 307 thousand rubles. Land Rover Discovery 4 with V8 gasoline costs at least 2 million 613 thousand rubles.
Thank God!
Scotland by Western standards is a wild country. However, this wildness is quite European. The inhuman greatness is striking not so much as the integration into the space of modern civilization with its herds of sheep, a road network, palaces, huts and hydraulic structures. Even the dam with which our story began - by the way, the most earthen dam in Scotland is built so that it is not immediately distinguished from the outside from the surrounding landscape, and the reservoir that appeared in the appearance of a couple of millions of years. Scottish savagery surprises with its beauty, which the language does not turn to name the miraculous. Especially if you look at it from the Land Rover window. This car is perfectly built into any landscape and says with all its appearance that the world is much simpler than many people think, looking at a map on which not a single road is noted. And this world is beautiful.
This is the most versatile car in the world, ”says the chief engineer of the project. - This is both a passenger car, and an SUV, and a small truck, and a representative limousine. Most often, Land Rover is accused of excesses of off -road weapons. Like, the owner of a car of such a cost in the mud will not climb. What about beauty?
Probably, if God wanted to create the land even, he would have done so, and then Land Rover cars would not be needed. But God decided differently.
Some technical characteristics of Land Rover Discovery 4 V8
Dimensions, mm 4829x2022x1837
Equipped mass, kg 2548
Benzine engine type V8
Working volume, cubic meter. cm 4999.7
Max. Power, L.S./rpm 375/6500
Max. moment, nm/rpm 510/3500
The transmission is automatic 6-band
The drive is complete
Max. Speed, km/h 195
Acceleration time 0-100 km, with 7.9
Fuel consumption (average), l/100 km 13.9
Leonid Sitnik
Photo of the manufacturer.
 
 

Source: Avtopanorama magazine