REVIEW | Land Rover Discovery Gemini celebrates the lineage

It’s hard not to spare a thought for Land Rover in these times.

What with some Chinese brands having centred their entire approaches on imitating and cost-optimising various hallmarks of the British marque, from its recognisable styling elements, to cabin layout.

Mind you, the British brand does have an official tie-up with Chery in the Chinese market, under the Chery-JLR banner.

Either way, it was nice to be reminded last week what an actual, full-size Land Rover felt like, when the Discovery Gemini arrived in our test garage.

By now the fifth generation Discovery, launched in 2017, needs no introduction. But perhaps some may have forgotten that it is still part of the line-up; since the Defender appears to have become the go-to for family-minded buyers in want of a large SUV that balances off-road prowess and a strong level of refinement. The Range Rover Sport also seems to eclipse the Discovery in popularity.

Could be that the tall posture and upright rear is much too ungainly for South Africa’s image-conscious buyers. And then there is the matter of that asymmetrical tailgate, a misguided nod to the original Discovery, that sparked a great deal of controversy when the model was launched.

Anyway, from inside the cabin, this is less concerning. Land Rover models have a distinctive feel that is both commanding but cosy, thanks to high-perched seats, a straight and unobtrusive fascia, thick door sills, armrests and a steering wheel with a wide girth.

Firing-up the Discovery, a familiar tone breathes into life, that of the 3.0l in-line-six turbocharged-diesel. Obviously not at the cutting-edge in a world of all-electric and plug-in hybrid contenders, but a proven form of propulsion with enjoyable characteristics. It does incorporate a 48-volt mild hybrid system, so it is not totally devoid of progression in the powertrain department.

Here’s a fun fact. This special Gemini edition was named in honour of the rugged 2.5l Tdi motor from the original 1989 Discovery, which had the codename Gemini.

The shove delivered by the 257kW/700Nm unit is enough to hustle this 2,367kg mammoth along in as little as 6.3 seconds. This is quicker than a Volkswagen Polo GTI at 6.7 seconds.

But the Land Rover is far more relaxing than the energetic pace of a B-segment hatchback. Its size and heft, coupled with the upmarket trimmings of the well-insulated cabin, could be likened to commuting from A-to-B in your lounge.

Transmission is dealt with by an eight-speed automatic. Consumption after the week of driving was a reasonable 10.8l/100km.

With a length of 4,956mm, height of 1,888mm and width of 2,220mm, it really stretches out an average parking bay. The maximum ground clearance of 283mm puts occupants at eye level with some medium commercial vehicles.

Hard-core overlanders may have bemoaned the departure from the body-on-frame architecture deployed previously. But the improvements in dynamics and comforts afforded by the current model’s unibody construction is aligned well with its repositioning as a more sophisticated type of machine.

Be in no doubt that the Discovery can still hold its own over untamed South African terrain. Armed with air suspension, four-wheel drive, a centre differential-lock (rear optional) and a full suite of off-road displays to take the guesswork out of things, it makes progress over tough surfaces effortless.

Families will appreciate how just about every convenience was thought of. The second and third seating rows can be reconfigured without breaking a sweat as all seats are electrically operated. Even the third row has seat heating.

One thing that was a struggle though was removing the luggage cover to get the third row up. Its latches were so firmly locked into place and would not budge. If there are any Discovery owners reading this, feel free to share the hack for easy detachment of the bar.

With the third row up, luggage space is 258l, on the larger side of what you would usually find with a seven-seater of this kind. That opens up to a sizable 1,231l with the third row folded or 2,500l with the second and third rows flat.

There are no missing items in the features inventory, with the Gemini packing everything from a refrigerated console, to a 360º camera system and Land Rover’s excellent Pivi Pro interface. We have praised the system before for its crisp display and simple layout.

Other perks of the Gemini include special colours (like our Sedona Red tester which looked more on the brown side), a contrasting black roof, 21-inch alloys (our car had optional 22-inchers in gloss black) and unique badging.

It costs R2,038,800, which represents a premium over the standard car costing R1,824,700. A five-year/100,000km warranty and maintenance plan is bundled in across the range.

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