THERE'S an old saying which goes: "If it ain’t broke, then don’t fix it". Well the Discovery 3 was hardly broke, but Land Rover executives were clearly not happy. They said the believed that the old model was seen by some potential customers as low-rent with the plastics on the wheel arches and an ageing interior and switchgear. So they gave the big Land Rover a facelift on the outside and a complete makeover on the inside in autumn last year. The new Discovery, particularly the ranger-topper, is so lavishly equipped, it makes you wonder why anyone would spend that extra cash on the Range Rover. Those who can afford the Range Rover may disagree, but the solid wood trim, hand stitched leather and thick carpets give the Discovery same feel as the far more expensive stablemate. Even parking is impossible not to get right in the Discovery. It has all round parking sensors and more cameras than Jessops. The HSE has five cameras up front and on each side to help you check that you are parked inside the white lines. There are also some clever little additions, like the light sensor which snap on full beam country lanes with nothing in sight, and then dip when cars approach. These kind of toys are, I suppose, what you would expect when forking out nearly £50,000, but not all luxury cars give this level of equipment as standard. The technology, and there is plenty of it, is almost all cutting edge and controlled by an easy to use command dial on the centre console, but it fell a little short of some of the big hitting Germans. They have features such as seamless Bluetooth systems that bring your mobile (and all the contacts) into the car's computer at the touch of a button. The Discovery didn’t appear to have that, unless of course I missed it amongst the arrays of gizmos. Luxury it is, but it is also a genuine rugged off-roader that is hugely practical. The cavernous rear conceals two full sized fold away back seats that pop up at the pull of a handle into areas, which even have their own heating controls. The car’s off-road capability is legendary and with good reason, I have driven the car over some of the roughest terrain imaginable and crossed rivers with the water nearly up to the windows. But most will rarely go off road so its manners on the roads are all important. It still gives one of the most commanding views of the road and the engine is smooth, powerful, quiet and surprisingly economical. The diesel is powerful, quiet and refined and If you really want to send this two tonne monster into a sprint there is a genuine sport option on the six-speed automatic gearbox. And it’s surprisingly agile and responsive at higher speeds. Make no mistake, this huge engine packs plenty of punch. The 0-60mph sprint is completed in nine seconds and the car sits nicely on the road with the new chassis and suspension minimising the usual 4x4 wallow on corners and soaking up pothole intrusion. There is an element of noise from the large tyres and also a hint of wind noise, but otherwise the cabin is pure luxury. Again Land Rover have raised the bar with the Discovery and pollution. Carbon dioxide emissions have been reduced by 10 per cent to 244g/km as the company tries to improve its green credentials. The cabin is comfortable with decent all round vision, extra brightness with the electric sunroof and it is packed with safety equipment. The Discovery 3 was good, the 4 is even better. Looks like the JLR execs got it right. FAST FACTS Land Rover Discovery 4 Price: £48,795 Mechanical: 220ps, 2,995cc, V6 petrol engine driving four wheels via 6-speed automatic gearbox Max speed: 112mph 0-62mph: 9 seconds Combined mpg: 30.4 Insurance group: 18 CO2 emissions: 244g/km BiK rating: 35% Warranty: 3yrs/ unlimited miles | 
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