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First Drive: 2010 Land Rover LR4 [Review]
09/29/2009, 3:31 PMBY DREW JOHNSON
The Discovery has been a staple of Land Rover’s global lineup for about two decades now, but it has long suffered from two major downfalls – asthmatic powertrains and sub-par interiors. However, now in its fourth-generation – and appropriately re-named the LR4 for North American buyers – Land Rover has finally addressed these key issues, transforming the Disco into a truly luxurious off-road champ.
A quick glance at the 2010 LR4 might indicate that Land Rover didn’t put too much effort into the truck’s mid-cycle refresh. Sure the overall look of the LR4 has been refined, but the outside tweaks don’t amount to much more than a revised front fascia and LED lights front and rear. But just as your mother told you, don’t judge a book by its cover.
Land Rover luxury
Open the door to the LR4 and you’ll be greeted by an all new interior. Gone are the hard plastics (everything in the LR4’s cabin is soft touch) and Jeep-like designs, replaced with materials and shapes worthy of the higher-level Range Rover. The LR4’s center stack has been thoroughly redone, including a clean sweep of the LR3’s sea of buttons. Land Rover says there are 50 percent fewer buttons in the LR4 compared to the LR3, and it really shows. With fewer pieces taking up valuable real estate on the center stack, Land Rover designers were able to give the LR4 a healthy dose of style without compromising the brand’s rugged nature.
In order to reduce the number of buttons by half, Land Rover moved many functions to the LR4’s Infotainment touch-screen. Although much more intuitive than many of the systems currently on the market, we’d like to see a bit more integration. For example, the LR4 comes standard with iPod connectivity, but songs can only be changed via the touch-screen, not the steering wheel-mounted controls. In real-world driving, this can unnecessarily take the driver’s focus off driving while hunting for that next song.
But the system works very well overall and also includes a few new features that are just as helpful off-road as they are in the Costco parking lot. New for 2010 is Land Rover’s version of Infiniti’s Around View monitor. By using five exterior cameras – two mounted on the front bumper, two mount under the side-view mirrors and one out back – Land Rover’s Surround Camera System simulates a 360 degree bird’s eye view on the vehicle. All five images are displayed on the LR4’s touch-screen monitor, with several customizable views available. The driver can choose to zoom-in on a single camera view or choose side-by-side shots. The latter is helpful in parallel parking situations and can be used as in invaluable tool off-road.
The Infotainment screen can also be used to display valuable off-road information, such as front wheel angle and wheel positions.
Engine room
Ever since the original Discovery, Land Rover has never blown away customers with world-class powerplants. Horsepower started out at about the 200 mark and slowly climbed to 300 in the LR3. However, the LR4’s engine bay is all-new for 2010, sporting a highly-capable, direct-injection 5.0-liter V8. Designed specifically for Land Rover – although also used by Jaguar – the new motor cranks out 375 horsepower and 375 lb-ft. of torque. More importantly, Land Rover has significantly flattened the engine’s power curves, resulting in more power throughout the rev band.
Coupled with a revised six-speed automatic transmission, the net result is a better driving experience on-road with plenty of low-end grunt to get through the toughest off-road conditions. The LR4 never felt short of breath and had plenty of twist to escape even the muckiest of conditions during our testing.
Driving demeanor
Unlike other automakers, Land Rover faces the unique challenge of producing vehicles that are world-beaters off-road yet can still handle their own on the paved stuff. The Discovery has historically faltered on the latter, but Land Rover has really shored things up with the 2010 LR4. For the new model year, the LR4 now employs the same front suspension used in the Range Rover Sport. The result is a much more planted feel, without the wiggly feeling associated with past Disco models. The LR4 still isn’t a canyon carver, but it’s a huge – and welcome – improvement.
But as good as the LR4 is on-road, it’s even better off. We tested the LR4 on some of Vermont’s toughest roads and the truck never fell short. The LR4 is packed with off-road tech, including Hill Decent Control with Gradient Release Control, Terrain Response and an Electronic Air Suspension. We doubt a high percentage of LR4s will ever be used to their fullest extent, but we can verify that it can handle virtually any road condition with ease – all while offering seating for seven and enough luxury for the red carpet.
Leftlane’s bottom line
Thanks to a vastly improved interior, substantial on-road refinements and a much more capable drivetrain, the 2010 LR4 is now a legitimate contender in the luxury SUV segment. Add in its off-road prowess and the LR4 is simply peerless.
2010 Land Rover LR4 base price, $48,100; As tested, $61,715.
HSE Lux Plus package, $11,115; Rear Seat Entertainment package, $2,500.
09/29/2009, 3:31 PMBY DREW JOHNSON
The Discovery has been a staple of Land Rover’s global lineup for about two decades now, but it has long suffered from two major downfalls – asthmatic powertrains and sub-par interiors. However, now in its fourth-generation – and appropriately re-named the LR4 for North American buyers – Land Rover has finally addressed these key issues, transforming the Disco into a truly luxurious off-road champ.
A quick glance at the 2010 LR4 might indicate that Land Rover didn’t put too much effort into the truck’s mid-cycle refresh. Sure the overall look of the LR4 has been refined, but the outside tweaks don’t amount to much more than a revised front fascia and LED lights front and rear. But just as your mother told you, don’t judge a book by its cover.
Land Rover luxury
Open the door to the LR4 and you’ll be greeted by an all new interior. Gone are the hard plastics (everything in the LR4’s cabin is soft touch) and Jeep-like designs, replaced with materials and shapes worthy of the higher-level Range Rover. The LR4’s center stack has been thoroughly redone, including a clean sweep of the LR3’s sea of buttons. Land Rover says there are 50 percent fewer buttons in the LR4 compared to the LR3, and it really shows. With fewer pieces taking up valuable real estate on the center stack, Land Rover designers were able to give the LR4 a healthy dose of style without compromising the brand’s rugged nature.
In order to reduce the number of buttons by half, Land Rover moved many functions to the LR4’s Infotainment touch-screen. Although much more intuitive than many of the systems currently on the market, we’d like to see a bit more integration. For example, the LR4 comes standard with iPod connectivity, but songs can only be changed via the touch-screen, not the steering wheel-mounted controls. In real-world driving, this can unnecessarily take the driver’s focus off driving while hunting for that next song.
But the system works very well overall and also includes a few new features that are just as helpful off-road as they are in the Costco parking lot. New for 2010 is Land Rover’s version of Infiniti’s Around View monitor. By using five exterior cameras – two mounted on the front bumper, two mount under the side-view mirrors and one out back – Land Rover’s Surround Camera System simulates a 360 degree bird’s eye view on the vehicle. All five images are displayed on the LR4’s touch-screen monitor, with several customizable views available. The driver can choose to zoom-in on a single camera view or choose side-by-side shots. The latter is helpful in parallel parking situations and can be used as in invaluable tool off-road.
The Infotainment screen can also be used to display valuable off-road information, such as front wheel angle and wheel positions.
Engine room
Ever since the original Discovery, Land Rover has never blown away customers with world-class powerplants. Horsepower started out at about the 200 mark and slowly climbed to 300 in the LR3. However, the LR4’s engine bay is all-new for 2010, sporting a highly-capable, direct-injection 5.0-liter V8. Designed specifically for Land Rover – although also used by Jaguar – the new motor cranks out 375 horsepower and 375 lb-ft. of torque. More importantly, Land Rover has significantly flattened the engine’s power curves, resulting in more power throughout the rev band.
Coupled with a revised six-speed automatic transmission, the net result is a better driving experience on-road with plenty of low-end grunt to get through the toughest off-road conditions. The LR4 never felt short of breath and had plenty of twist to escape even the muckiest of conditions during our testing.
Driving demeanor
Unlike other automakers, Land Rover faces the unique challenge of producing vehicles that are world-beaters off-road yet can still handle their own on the paved stuff. The Discovery has historically faltered on the latter, but Land Rover has really shored things up with the 2010 LR4. For the new model year, the LR4 now employs the same front suspension used in the Range Rover Sport. The result is a much more planted feel, without the wiggly feeling associated with past Disco models. The LR4 still isn’t a canyon carver, but it’s a huge – and welcome – improvement.
But as good as the LR4 is on-road, it’s even better off. We tested the LR4 on some of Vermont’s toughest roads and the truck never fell short. The LR4 is packed with off-road tech, including Hill Decent Control with Gradient Release Control, Terrain Response and an Electronic Air Suspension. We doubt a high percentage of LR4s will ever be used to their fullest extent, but we can verify that it can handle virtually any road condition with ease – all while offering seating for seven and enough luxury for the red carpet.
Leftlane’s bottom line
Thanks to a vastly improved interior, substantial on-road refinements and a much more capable drivetrain, the 2010 LR4 is now a legitimate contender in the luxury SUV segment. Add in its off-road prowess and the LR4 is simply peerless.
2010 Land Rover LR4 base price, $48,100; As tested, $61,715.
HSE Lux Plus package, $11,115; Rear Seat Entertainment package, $2,500.