Meet the odd one out. Its British, unashamed of its off-road roots, isnt even on speaking terms with the concept of sportiness and is squarer than a breeze block.
Part of the reason for its success has to be its honest approach. This isnt a car that tries to deceive buyers. From its cliff-like nose to its flattened tail, what you see is what you get with the third-generation Discovery. Neither rival would be dare be spotted with black plastic body mouldings or door handles, yet this car wears them with pride an early indication of the big Brits utilitarian approach.
For further proof of that, simply open the asymmetric two-piece tailgate. No matter how much luggage space you need, the Land Rover will cope. Even with all seven seats in position theres room for nearly 300 litres of kit, while those occupying the last pair of seats enjoy palatial accommodation theres virtually as much legroom as in the middle row, where the three individual chairs all slide independently.
Unlike in its opponents, you see a lot of bare metal while operating the seat mechanisms, and the handles arent as simple to use. But once you are familiar with it, the seating can be dropped flat quickly and easily to create a concert hall-sized load area 808 litres bigger than the BMWs.
Step up into the drivers seat and make no mistake, it really is a step up and youre struck by three things: the panoramic view out, the endless amounts of stowage space and the relatively unsophisticated design.
This is no luxury SUV it has an almost military layout with squared-off edges and bare plastics, plus a driving position a tank commander would be happy with. Whats more, the thin pillars,
vertical sides and visible bonnet make the Land Rover very easy to place on the road, so urban driving is not as intimidating as you might expect.
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