Some three decades ago, buyers wanting a famous British mud-plugger had the choice of a rugged workhorse in the Ninety/One Ten, or the much plusher Range Rover. But Land Rover wanted to add a third option somewhere between the two – and so the Land Rover Discovery Mk1 was born.
Launched at the 1989 Frankfurt Motor Show, the fresh, modern design perfectly bridged the gap between the utilitarian and luxurious. Developed relatively quickly and on a modest budget, the Discovery borrowed the chassis and most of the running gear from the Range Rover and went on sale in three-door form only, reportedly to avoid it cannibalising sales from the more prestigious sibling.
A more practical five-door arrived a year later, but what stood out for many was the interior; light and airy thanks to the ‘Alpine’ windows, Terence Conran had a hand in its design and its fresh approach garnered a British Design Award.
Power came from 2.5-litre turbodiesel or 3.5-litre Rover V8 engines (initially carburettor with fuel-injection later) and being a Land Rover, the Discovery was supremely capable in the rough stuff. By the time production ended in 1998, numerous updates had included revised engines: a 2.0-litre MPi petrol unit was introduced, the diesel was updated to a more refined 300Tdi unit, and the V8 enlarged to 3.9 litres – and a facelift in 1994 that tweaked the styling, interior and added more kit.
The Discovery Mk2 – often known now as the Discovery 2 – was produced from 1998 to 2004 and looked to build on the first generation’s success. It’s a notably different vehicle to the first car in many ways: it was both longer and wider than the original car and its cabin was arguably more luxurious, having ditched the hard-touch Conran design for something more sophisticated.
While still not especially complex by modern standards, the Discovery Mk2 introduced more technology to the mix, from electronic traction control and hill descent control to an optional ‘Active Cornering Enhancement’ (ACE) suspension system.
On the engine front there was a five-cylinder Td5 diesel or 4.0-litre V8, and both units featured greater electronic control in the quest for improved performance and economy. Buyers were offered five- or seven-seat versions; the latter’s rearmost seats were forward-facing rather than the Discovery Mk1’s foldaway jump seats, and seven-seaters boasted self-levelling rear air suspension as standard. A Premium model brought all the luxury accoutrements you could want.
But for all its upmarket aspirations, the second-generation Discovery still retained the off-road prowess Land Rover customers demanded. That ability was enhanced further by the 2003 facelift, when a locking centre differential became optional; previously, it had been retained in the transmission as on the original car but without a connecting linkage to operate it. Production ended in May 2004, making way for the Discovery 3 which was a larger and notably more complex beast.
