Having established itself as the leading brand in the full-size leisure SUV sector of the market with the Mk 1 and 2 versions of the Discovery, Land Rover brought itself kicking and screaming into a modern new era with the Discovery 3.
 
Now under the ownership of Ford, Land Rover released the highly-anticipated third generation of its best-seller in late 2004. It was a Discovery design revolution - an entirely new vehicle underneath its surface, but retaining some of its classic exterior features. It had a unique modular construction – essentially a monocoque, but with various body sections that could be removed to give the same benefits as a separate chassis.
 
The stepped roof remained, as did the reverse C-pillars and the steep angled windscreen. The driving position was also raised into its now familiar command driving position, providing a full unobstructed view of the vehicle’s surroundings.
 
Two engines were offered – a rare BMW-sourced 4.4-litre petrol V8, and Ford’s own 2.7-litre TDV6 turbodiesel, which was perfect for the model, complete with a choice of six-speed auto or manual transmissions.

Inside, the vehicle’s infotainment was given a major upgrade and the familiar flexible seven-seat layout remained, however passengers in row three now entered via the rear passenger doors, rather than the tailgate as they had done previously.
 
One radical feature added to the Discovery 3 was its fully independent air suspension. This system allowed the vehicle to be both raised and lowered to adjust ground clearance - high ground clearance for off-road performance, providing extra stability to the vehicle, and a lower clearance for higher on-road speeds. This was in line with Discovery’s original utilitarian brief for both on and off-road performance, while the biggest technical advance was its Terrain Response system.
 
This example is one of the earliest known survivors – a ‘54’-plate car first registered in early 2005. It’s a clean, smart and genuine example in smart condition, and in generally good working order. It’s also quite rare in being equipped with a six-speed manual gearbox, as most were automatic.
 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  BEFORE YOU BUY

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