Executive | On the road

Land Rover Discovery

By Bill McCarthy

THIRTY years of producing a model is something of a landmark, so it should come as no surprise that Land Rover’s special edition Discovery is called, you’ve guessed it, the Landmark.

The vehicle has notched up 300 awards since its 1989 introduction and goes from strength to strength.

It’s reputation and capability is legendary, whether posing at the school gates, towing the horsebox to the gymkhana or navigating fast flowing rivers and mud tracks in the the Amazon.

And it looks like a landmark, a huge premium vehicle with a commanding road presence.

It does look good, based on the SE model but with the addition of Dynamic Exterior Pack which includes unique Landmark badging, bumper design, and black mesh grille and vents plus black nameplate lettering on the bonnet and tailgate.

There are also two fixed, front and rear panoramic roofs, with sliding cover, front fog lights privacy glass and 20-inch gloss black alloy wheels and an upgraded sound system.

Key features include a seven-seat setup, where the rearmost pair fold into the boot floor, clever storage options and its even pet friendly with with special provision to make your canine pal comfortable.

At the touch of a button the rear suspension can be lowered to allow the dog to jump on board via the powered interior tailgate and settle into a prepared comfortable area.

A visual road presence, but still first among equals in terms of off-road capability as all-wheel drive technology advances at a pace. It also costs a wedge to buy, with this model a cool £57,350 price tag, although with a PCP deal it can be available for around £499 per month.

It has proven over the years that it can almost go anywhere and technology includes All Terrain Progress Control, which enables drivers to set and maintain a steady speed in tricky conditions. It is available alongside Terrain Response 2, offering a number of driving modes and class-leading wading depth of 900mm. Add to this a towing capacity of 3.5 tonnes and you have a top notch off roader.

JLR is on the road to electrification, but in the meantime, that has taken a back seat for this model with a choice of two two-litre diesel engine set-ups. available in 240bhp SD4 and 306bhp SD6 power units.

‘The inside is packed with premium kit, high quality soft touch finish, leather seats‘

The 240bhp ingenium unit in this case offers plenty of pulling power and better economy than the higher spec engine, but loses out with performance. Having said that, it pulls the two tonne-plus beast to 60mph in an impressive 8.3 seconds via a slick eight speed gearbox, with a top speed of 121mph.

On the road, the car is a pleasant place to be with the refined engine, barely audible and extensive soundproofing cutting out exterior noise from road and wind. It is expecially relaxed when cruising on the motorway.

The inside is packed with premium kit, high quality soft touch finish, leather seats, heated this and electrically operated that, plus acres of room.

This version offers a choice of Ebony or Acorn grained leather with satin brushed centre console and unique aluminium mesh finisher, plus the 380W Meridian Sound System. This is operated via the state-of-the-art 10 inch Touchscreen (InControl Touch Pro) which incorporates navigation, TV, Bluetooth connectivity, DAB radio and connnectivity via Wi-Fi Hotspot, various apps and smart phone connectivity.

Large glass areas allow plenty of light into the cabin as does the double panoramic roof while head and leg room is plentfiful for all, as you would expect in a vehicle this size.

Boot space with the rearmost seats stowed away is impressive and neat touches are the powered interior and exterior tailgate for ease of loading.Stowage space ranges from 258 litres to a maximum of 2,406.

In vehicle name and model terms, the Discovery name is now in vintage territory, but in desirablity terms, remains as fresh as ever, if you can afford it.

Factfile

Land Rover Discovery SD4 Landmark 240ps

Price: £57,495

Mechanical: 240bhp, 1,998cc, 4cyl diesel engine driving four wheels wheels via 8-speed automatic gearbox

Max speed: 121mph

0-62mph: 8.3. seconds

Combined mpg: 30-33

Insurance group: 18

CO2 emissions: 197g/km

Warranty: 3yrs/100,000 miles

Audi e-tron

By Bill McCarthy

Driving electric cars from time to time do come with problems. Well, one really, where do you charge it? That was certainly the case 10 years ago when driving the first Nissan Leaf.

Things have taken a massive, if not quantum leap forward. With charging points becoming more and more common on roads, car parks and service stations, and offering fast charging in around 30 minutes, it has reduced the stress almost completely. Battery technology has also moved on at a pace.

Luckily, a charging point was installed in front of the office a couple of months before it I took delivery of the e-tron.

Just as well because a car like the Audi with all the electric bells, whistles and hi-tech gizmos, uses a lot of power. Recharging at either of the two charging points to 80 per cent capacity from a fast charger, takes around 90 minutes. Use a home charge kits and you will get a full charge in under six hours. It can, in an emergency be plugged into a normal socket, but charging takes over a day. It also has the facility, where available, for an 80 per cent chare to take around 20 minutes.

Out and about, the road charging point used contactless payment, all pretty painless.

At first glance you could be forgiven for thinking the e-tron was a Q5 or Q7, at a smidge under five metres long it sits between both, with only subtle flashes and badges indicating this is an all electric, four wheel drive, with a motor on each axle, adaptive air suspension and all the bells and whistles executive motor.

The two electric motors operate as an electric all-wheel drive system, powered by a 95kWh lithiu ion battery, driving the SUV free of emissions, and almost silently.

This gives it a 2.5 tonne beast brilliant acceleration, via the CV transmission, hitting 60mph in under six seconds with the so called engine overboost, a kind of electric kick down and, for those fretting about range, at least 248 miles in the WLTP cycle

Add to this a recuperation system that recharges via braking and deceleration which can be controlled via the steering wheel paddles

It is a smart looking car with an imposing presence yet sleek design, sitting on 20-inch alloy wheels and features LED headlights with LED rear lights, dynamic front and rear indicators and the now familiar light strip across its rear end

The interior is a plush and comfortable place to be with electrically-operated heated leather seats, thick carpets and high quality soft touch plastics throughout. Typical Audi quality.

The so-called ‘virtual cockpit’ dominates. This consists of two touch screens which can be customised to individual taste. It houses the latest MMI or multi-media interface brain of the car, which controls major functions like navigation, infotainment and connectivity for smartphones and a high-end sound system

The range of kit is comprehensive with driver aids such as head up display, parking camera and a whole host of safety kit.

On the road the car is well balanced and handles sharply for such a weighty beast. The steering is responsive while the air suspension soaks up the worst our roads can offer. When conditions get tricky, the four wheel drive kicks in, switching drive from mainly front wheel to sending traction to both axles.

It fairly whispers along, obviously engine noise is absent, while the cabin is well insulated from road noise from those large wheels.

Luxurious it may be but it is also like all SUVs is practical with both 660 litre boot space and with the seats folded, 1725 litres is available plus there is a large central storage bin.

There’s more, the and the lack of an engine means there’s extra space in the engine compartment..

In normal set up it will hit 60 in 6.5 seconds, but floor it and you get the equivalent of kick down, where the so-called overboost pushes up the power from 355 to 402bhp and it hits 60 in 5.7 seconds.

It’s just the start of Audi’s electric revolution. It’s a hell of a good one.

FAST FACTS

Audi e-tron quattro 55

Price: £70,805

Mechanical: 405bhp (max). electric motors driving both axles via auto transmission

Max speed: 124mph

0-62mph: 5.9 seconds

Range: 239 miles

Insurance group: 50E

CO2 emissions: 0g/km

BiK rating: 0%

Warranty: 3yrs/60,000 miles