It’s no secret: the SUV market is saturated — from mid-size to 7-passenger family haulers — including the new 8-passenger Defender 130 for 2023. But then there’s the one with 30 years of experience backed by proven off-road and racing pedigree.
The iconic Disco entered its fifth-generation for 2017 with an all-new design (here’s our full 2017 Discovery first drive review). What hasn’t changed is the attitude and lust for adventure. The 2018 Land Rover Discovery carries over from 2017 with little to no updates. Here’s a closer look at power, interior, styling, and more.
Land Rover Discovery 2018 Engine Options
One of the most noted additions to the 2018 Land Rover Discovery lineup was the so-called Ingenium Engine technology. These 4-cylinder engine units were used on both the Discovery and Evoque models. They feature a 2.0L displacement and deliver from 237-hp to 286-hp in their petrol (gasoline) form, along with another 237-hp diesel variant.
The 286-hp Si4 Ingenium gasoline engine was at the time the most powerful engine offered on either the Land Rover Discovery or the Range Rover Evoque. The diesel variant was the fastest of the bunch, achieving a 0-100km/h (0-60mph) time of just 7.5 seconds.
These engines were also designed to be cleaner, and help the Discovery to remain well within the requirements of increasingly stringent emissions requirements in the European Union, known as the Euro6 Standards.
As for efficiency, the Ingenium engines deliver a very pleasing 8.9L/100km (35.3-mpg) combined fuel consumption rating, a set of numbers that most North Americans would never associate with a luxury SUV model.
The key to their cleanliness lies in their inclusion of an electrohydraulic control in the inlet valves, which gave the Discovery “variable valve lift.” What this means is that it was the intake valves that were managing load control rather than the throttle, delivering greater power and torque, boosting fuel efficiency, and also lowering total emissions. One key innovation brought three areas of improvement.
Dynamic Exterior Design
The new engines also brought with it additional options when it came to the exterior. The 2018 Land Rover Discovery was delivered with the Dynamic Exterior Pack, which included larger air intakes on the front bumpers, a gloss black front grille, gloss black side vents, and 20-inch “Style 511” alloy wheels.
The larger intakes on the bumper were both aesthetic and practical, delivering a more powerful and impressive look while also ensuring better air cooling than the standard edition ones. Owners could also personalize their Discovery with 12 exterior color options, and available contrast roof color options.
2018 Land Rover Discovery Interior: Spacious and Versatile
The main defining characteristic of the 2018 Land Rover Discovery is space. While it is marketed as a luxury model in some markets, in most it was mostly intended as a more practical vehicle with lots of interior space, especially in the rear seats.
The 2018 Discovery offers a great deal of both legroom and headroom throughout the cabin, and also offers added features like a 10-inch infotainment touchscreen, parking sensors, reverse camera, and a third seating row that is roomy enough for adults to sit comfortably.
On the Road
The 2018 Land Rover Discovery has a weight advantage over other models in its class, which helps lend to what many have discovered to be a pleasing and agile dynamic on the road. No matter how efficient and powerful the 2.0L engines are, however, it’ll never offer the same dynamism as a sports car, but then again it was likely never meant to.
The standard wheel offering is 19-inches, but optional 20-inch alloys with the Dynamic Exterior Pack, and wheel up to 22 inches available all offer a better ride quality according to most reports. The Discovery is an SUV that is engineered to ride on larger wheels, so in this case the larger wheels don’t detract from performance as can happen in some other models.
The Discovery vs Range Rover Velar
Land Rover is known for the ultra-luxurious, ultra-capable Range Rover and its sibling Discovery, two SUVs that can do far more than their owners will ever ask them to. In short order, you can expect to see the return of the Defender line, which is geared more to off-road than luxury.
In the case of Velar, it’s designed to appeal to those attracted to the Land Rover aesthetic but don’t want the size and don’t need quite the capability of Disco or Range Rover. It follows on the heels of the Evoque, itself a Land Rover that’s more car than off-road beast, but Velar is a bit larger, offering increased cargo capacity and increased passenger space.
2018 Land Rover Discovery Photos
Photos: Russell Purcell
