Skip advert
Advertisement

Land Rover Discovery (2009-2016) review - does it still make for a great 4x4? - Design

The definitive 4x4 from Land Rover - if you can’t quite stretch to a Range Rover

Evo rating
RRP
from £41,600
  • Looks, prestige, utility and huge comfort regardless of what’s beneath the wheels
  • Beginning to feel its age despite many revisions, expensive to run and buy

Design

Fundamentally the same sheet metal from 2004 the Discovery has been kept fresh by continual tweaks to its design. It still presents a commanding face to the world, distinctive and familiar and ruggedly handsome all at the same time, the Discovery is unashamedly an off-road vehicle rather than a pseudo-SUV with some off-road ability. That’s a huge part of its appeal.

Advertisement - Article continues below

That obviously utilitarian aspect is carried over to elements of the interior. It’s all easily operated; with the exception of the old-school touchscreen, the chunky knobs, dials and buttons are all Fisher-Price like in their ease, yet convincingly premium in their situation and material quality. 

Skip advert
Advertisement
Skip advert
Advertisement

Most Popular

Alpine A390 v Hyundai Ioniq 5 N – are these EV crossovers fun as well as fast?
Alpine A390 and Hyundai Ioniq 5 N
Group tests

Alpine A390 v Hyundai Ioniq 5 N – are these EV crossovers fun as well as fast?

A world away from the A110, Alpine’s most ambitious gamble yet is a 464bhp electric ‘sport fastback’. Can it match Hyundai’s Ioniq 5 N when it comes t…
8 Mar 2026
The Audi RS3 Competition is a £92k goodbye to Ingolstadt’s five-cylinder
Audi RS3 Competition
News

The Audi RS3 Competition is a £92k goodbye to Ingolstadt’s five-cylinder

Audi marks the end of the line for the RS3 and its five-cylinder engine with an ultra-limited special, and we don’t use that phrase lightly… 
10 Mar 2026
New Cupra Born arrives as a feistier Volkswagen ID.3, with bucket seats and up to 322bhp
2026 Cupra Born
News

New Cupra Born arrives as a feistier Volkswagen ID.3, with bucket seats and up to 322bhp

Cupra has given the ID.3-based Born a substantial refresh, comprising a new design, updated interior and physical steering wheel controls rather than …
5 Mar 2026