Land Rover Discovery: Competition Check

Land Rover has launched the next generation Discovery in India with price range varying between Rs. 68.05 lakh - 1.02 crore. The deliveries of the fifth generation Discovery will commence in India from November 2017.

The Discovery is the most practical SUV in Land Rover’s portfolio - it aims to be a luxurious family hauler that’s also incredibly capable once the smooth terrain ends. The latest generation SUV - with its sleek headlamps and tail lamps adopts the British company’s latest design philosophy - while still retaining the characteristic boxy shape of its predecessors.   

A duo of V6 petrol and diesel engines power the Discovery, with four-wheel drive and 8-speed automatic gearbox coming standard throughout the range.

However, the road ahead won’t be all the easy for this Brit - as this segment is already is crowded with some established and strong-selling players. Let’s see what this latest Land Rover will compete against.

Volvo XC90

The XC90 is an SUV that has turned Volvo’s fortunes, and not without a reason - it looks great, and the elegant interiors have set a benchmark for this segment. The cabin space on the XC90 is aplenty and the boot is very big too. Being a Volvo - it comes with all the safety kit you can imagine.

However, the D5 diesel engine is a tad noisy, and the XC90 is not biased towards spirited driving. Those looking for petrol power may be disappointed too - as the only available petrol option is a petrol-hybrid, which is priced exorbitantly at Rs. 1.30 crore.

Price range: Rs. 76.91 lakh - 1.31 crore

Audi Q7

The Audi Q7 is by far the best selling SUV of this segment. Now in its second generation, the Q7 is actually smaller than its predecessor, despite gaining space on the inside. The all-new interior is high on quality and well laden with technology. It comes with V6 diesel engine mated to an 8-speed gearbox, and Audi’s Quattro AWD system.

Audi has refrained from offering any petrol motor on the Q7 - atleast for the time being.

Price Range: Rs. 70.12 lakh - 77.84 lakh

Mercedes-Benz GLS

The Mercedes GLS is a big old-school SUV, which cannot quite match the newer rivals on aesthetic appeal or technology front. However, its massive dimensions do make room for best-in-class interior space, including a usable third row. The cabin, though not modern, is built with high quality materials.

Alongside a V6 diesel, the GLS can also be had with a V6 petrol, and a monstrous V8 petrol in its AMG avatar - though the latter is extremely expensive. Talking of being expensive - the GLS has the most expensive base price of this group.

Price Range: Rs. 79.86 lakh - 1.83 core

BMW X5

Anyone who expects some sort of driver involvement from their large SUV should be looking nowhere else. A pair of inline-six petrol or diesel engines, mated to BMW’s driving DNA makes the X5 the default choice for the enthusiastic driver. Just like the Mercedes - you can get a bonkers M version of the X5. But again, that would escalate the price considerably.

However, this one only comes with 5 seats, isn’t the best equipped SUV here, and is due for replacement in 2018.

Price Range: Rs. 67.90 lakh - 1.63 crore