Land Rover Discovery 3: The latest results from a smashing organisation

[01001010]

Article from: Oct. 2006 Top Gear pg. 185

Land Rover Discovery 3 NCAP rating: ****
Disco 3 breaks no new ground - just the pedestrian dummy's bones

So we come to the final test for the 'new' Discovery. Somewhat delayed, but there's a case for saying it's the most important one yet. If it can prove itself utterly safe, then far fewer people are going to accept that you buy one for protection.

We haven't had a big off-roader reach five stars for two years now, not since the VW Touareg's dummy-pleasing result back in 2004. Before that only the Volvo XC90 and BMW X5 reached a pinnacle that superminis are now managing with relative ease. The Range Rover could only manage four stars, and now it's time for the Disco, all 2,637kg of it, to try to better its bigger stablemate.

One crunched 2.7 TDV6 SE five-seater later and the results are in. Yes, it's another four-star car. You immediately see the problem when shown NCAP's pictogram of the driver and passenger - instead of being coloured entirely in pain-free green or yellow, the upper legs and knees of both are orange, meaning there's marginal protection in the 40mph impact. This the fault of stiffer structures under the dash fouling the legs - specifically the steering column adjuster lever and the glovebox. However, the cabin itself remained stable, the steering column and pedals barely moved and the A-pillar stayed put. To its credit, the Discovery also scored maximum marks in the side impact tests.

Child-sized dummies in the back in seats attached to Isofix anchors were well protected, with only slight concern for the amount of pressure on the chest of the three-year-old in a foward-facing seat. Four stars out of five was a good result here. If NCAP wasn't so keen on warning stickers, it would have been even better. So, a good day for 4x4s? Only if you have no feeling for the poor old pedestrian dummy. It took such a pounding that one star was the result.