Land Rover is most known for building luxurious and capable off-roaders. The attention as of late has been on their new Defender, a revival of one of their most popular models of all time. The reality however is that most Canadian buyers want something that’s subtle, luxurious, and capable of transporting families large enough to warrant three rows. Never fear – the 2021 Land Rover Discovery P360 exists, and it’s not to be confused with the Discovery Sport that has been much more popular.
The full-sized Discovery debuted four years ago sporting tall and narrow styling, following the latest Land Rover design language. I’m a fan of the general styling, though I can’t help but say that the smaller Discovery Sport, which isn’t great, actually holds its proportions much better. The big Discovery looks too tall and narrow, and slightly awkward from some angles. New bumpers, lights, and some updated interior bits make up the mild refresh for 2021.
Much like some other automakers, Land Rover has been quietly doing away with their V6 engines, in favour of this absolutely wonderful 3.0-liter inline six-cylinder. The straight-six is part of the Ingenium family, and offers 355 horsepower and 369-lb-ft. of torque. It’s hooked up to a 48-volt mild hybrid system that helps with some extra oomph off the line, and also runs the start-stop system which is brilliantly smooth.
This engine is perhaps the Discovery’s best characteristic, and for that reason alone we suggest going with the P360 model over the base four-cylinder. Acceleration is buttery smooth, and while it doesn’t pack the wild exhaust notes of the more dramatic Jaguar models, the Discovery P360 sounds confident and grown up. An eight-speed automatic transmission is also very well tuned, and knows exactly what gear to be in. The electronic shifter is a bit of a nuisance – dare we say we want the rotary dial back?
Somehow, fuel efficiency isn’t as poor as expected, thanks to the newly developed inline-six, mild hybrid technology, and other measures. Running on strictly premium 91-octane fuel, we observed 12.8L/100km in a combined cycle, and 9.5L/100km on longer highway runs. The Discovery’s 76-liter fuel tank is adequately sized, but an extra ten or fifteen liters wouldn’t hurt, and would be helpful for frequent road trippers. We’re sad to see the diesel option eliminated for this model year, but seeing market trends, it was on borrowed time.
As expected from anything bearing the Land Rover nameplate, the Discovery can venture off-road on command. The four-corner air suspension system means ride quality is exceptional in all situations. All Terrain Progress Control is a system that allows the vehicle to cruise at speeds up to 30 km/h while on trails, and the drive mode selector can be adjusted for terrains including grass, ruts, muds, and sand. There is also a low range setting, and a new wade mode that actually detects the depth of water.
Moving onto the interior, the Discovery has an excellent driving position, with superbly comfortable leather seats and a well-organized interior. The new Pivi Pro infotainment system gets a massive touchscreen, and it’s much easier to navigate. Apple CarPlay still requires a wired connection, which we would like to see eliminated like many competitors have done.
The interior overall has a more toned-down feel than the more premium Range Rover models. It’s still premium, but not quite “luxury”, which is just fine for a focused off-roader. It feels just as upscale as the BMW X5, Mercedes-Benz GLE and Audi Q7, while offering a slightly slimmer-looking package. The Discovery’s second and third row seats are on the tighter side, and with the third row in place, cargo room is just about zero. Think of it as a larger two-row ute and you’ll be just fine.
Canadian pricing for the 2021 Discovery starts at $68,600 for the P300, which is powered by a boosted four-cylinder. Our six-cylinder P360 starts at $73,700, and the R-Dynamic at $76,100. Factoring in just about every available option including a center console fridge, 21-inch wheels, power folding rear seats, and a brilliant Meridian sound system, our tester came to $90,750. One feature that we wish Land Rover didn’t charge extra for is the adaptive cruise control, which, at $1,550, should really be standard.
At its size and price point, the Discovery competes with the likes of the Audi Q7 and Volvo XC90. The cost-conscious may consider the much smaller Acura MDX, but it’s important to note that none of these vehicles are off-road capable in any way. The BMW X5 and Mercedes-Benz GLE can be optioned to be much more luxurious, but are also very obviously two-row SUVs with more of a focus on cruising the grounds of Costco rather than venturing off the beaten path.
The 2021 Land Rover Discovery P360 is on its own in the sense that it offers actual capability mixed in with premium materials and the panache of a reputed brand. It’s more interesting and has more character than any of the German offerings, and believe me when I say the driving position is second to none. The Discovery is the dark horse of three-row crossovers, and deserves to succeed.
