So while this new Discovery isn't obviously an evo sort of car, it introduces Land Rover's new hydroformed chassis, which will reappear under the X5-rivalling Range Sport that arrives in March 2005. (Contrary to appearances, the Range Sport was never going to be based on the current Range Rover platform, which simply wasn't engineered to spawn a sportier model.)

With the new Discovery, Land Rover has returned to its early principles and created a separate ladder chassis. That's a somewhat surprising move but it will allow a number of different future models to share a single, world-class off-road chassis. Instead of simply constructing an unstressed body to sit on top, like that of a Defender, Land Rover has attached a load-bearing body, thus giving terrific structural stiffness, which helps both handling and refinement. It's a sort of belt and braces approach, but engine, road and wind noise are better suppressed than in the current Range Rover so it seems to work.

Another break with tradition is the adoption of engines from Jaguar (another member of Ford's Premier Automotive Group). There's the choice of either a single turbo version of the incredibly refined V6 diesel that first appeared in the S-type this year, or the strong V8 petrol engine from the new XJ range but here enlarged to 4.4 litres. Naturally we chose the new 294bhp V8 to see what the Discovery has to offer the evo reader.

It's a good engine, this revised V8, but it's got its work cut out with the new Discovery. As well as being modelled without any apparent reference to a wind tunnel, it's as if the Disco has never been near a set of scales either. Even with the six-speed auto gearbox fitted as standard - offering a low first for a reasonably brisk step-off - there's a nagging feeling of constantly lugging a huge weight around with you. In fact, it feels exactly like you've got a trailer attached, the gearbox always dropping down one or even two ratios if even a slight incline appears.

Body-roll is pronounced too, as the clever active anti-roll bars from the outgoing model haven't been carried over, but the ride quality is quite superb, almost Jaguar-like. That's probably because it squashes bumps into submission thanks to its kerb weight of 2704kg, some 200kg heavier than the new Rolls-Royce! No wonder the engine struggles to deliver. The claimed 0 to 60mph time of 8sec looks highly optimistic, while fuel consumption with us averaged just 14.7mpg.

What the Disco also seems to lack is the same sense of style the new Range Rover introduced. The interior is dominated by the dark plastic dash but there's no added wood or alloy to help lift its appearance. The centre console is covered by a mass of buttons and there are a further eleven on the steering wheel. Where the handbrake would normally be (it's now actuated by an electrically-operated toggle switch) is a rotary knob that offers a choice of five pre-programmed engine and suspension settings for road, wet grass and snow, sand, ruts, and boulder hopping. On the HSE it's all illustrated on a Skyline-esque LCD screen that shows exactly what's happening at the wheels with regard to steering position and axle articulation limits.

It's complete overkill in my view. Once, even an off-road novice could steer a Land Rover across rugged terrain without having to become embroiled too much with the mechanics of the thing; in the new Disco you have to know what you're doing and twiddle several knobs to get the best out of it.

One of the key features of the new Disco is that it has seven forward-facing seats to handle the school run and other family duties. Yet Land Rover has designed it as an ultra-techy off-roader, one that weighs 2.7 tonnes, has identical dimensions to the over-sized Range Rover, drinks fuel in a similar fashion and has a list price (in HSE V8 spec) just shy of ΂£50,000. I'm not convinced that's what today's more environmentally aware families are looking for, especially with the mega-practical Volvo XC90 heading up the sales charts. We can only hope the Range Sport delivers a better focused proposition than this disappointing new Discovery.