Discovering The New Land Rover Discovery

As a young boy growing up in the township I had a dream just like many others that I would one day drive the best car on the streets. At that time the main contenders were the BMW and Mercedes Benz sedans. These were the popular options for the well off. Magintsa included. Off road vehicles rarely came up in conversation, if at all. 4X4’s were traditionally associated with adventure junkies and there weren’t many of them ko kasi. Coming to think of it, if there were any I had never paid them any attention.

The popularity of off roaders can be attributed to BMW and Mercedes venturing into the 4-wheel drive territory with their X5 and ML ranges respectively. As a consequence of this, the idea of a dream car was now broadened. In fact, the ideal fleet now includes an SUV. Traditionally SUVs were known as practical cars and not much was expected from them beyond being able to carry a large load. That scenario has since changed, they have literally become luxurious and can perform like a luxury with up to seven adults being seated comfortably.

The Land Rover brand has remained in a league of its own in the off road category. Not only do Landys, as they are affectionately known, drive over pavements. The 4X4’s drive up steep hills and go through water with ease. So when we were invited to the launch of Land Rovers All New Discovery we had great expectations because we knew that we would be in a for treat. Their Evoque convertible that we had on test previously set the benchmark in from both a utility and looks perspective. We had a two-day itinerary which included an overnight stay at a camp site at the Marekele National Park in nestled in the Waterberg mountain range in Limpopo. En route to camp camping an off road was planned where we able to experience the Landys hard at work.

With the help of few buttons, which can raise the cars height or feed power to different wheels as the need arises. The obstacles were handled with ease. There is nothing that this car cannot do. Although at times it seemed impossible that it would go through some of the obstacles. Technology has really gone a long way to turn anybody into a seasoned off roader.

Land Rover really went to market with the technology in the Discovery. It has every option you can think of; at one point the car was driving itself with just the driver steering it. The 3 litre HSE model that we drove was equipped with nine USB ports, six 12-volt charging points and an in-car 3G Wi-Fi hotspot for up to eight devices. It’s pretty interesting that you’re able to drive up a hill while some passengers are streaming videos online and others listening to their choice of music through the standard headsets. It has a very sophisticated sound system with powerful speakers, there is no distortion to the sound system should you purchase the top of the range option.

The All New Discovery is a formidable off road vehicle and has remained true to this promise over the twenty-three years since its introduction to the market. If you are looking for a car which challenges your inner warrior or be massaged on your way home after a stressful day, this is the one for you.

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