Land Rover’s flagship SUV has arrived and the Tata-owned British marque has introduced an interesting pricing strategy. Starting at Rs 68.05 lakhs for the basic petrol S trim, the prices of the Discovery go all the way to Rs 1.02 crores for the top-spec diesel car, ex-showroom India. While the price range is quite wide, the competition is specific and it has all the big fat luxury SUVs.
Volvo XC90
The Volvo XC90 is the best-looking full-size SUV that we have in the Indian car market as of now and is probably the only one that can match the Discovery in looks. Also, the entry-level diesel variant of the XC90 is priced just about Rs 3 lakhs over the entry-level Discovery petrol and the Volvo is known for its frugal fuel economy numbers. On the inside, the XC will be slightly more loaded than the Discovery S in terms of features and specs. In terms of firepower, the Land Rover gets much more horsepower in both the petrol and diesel avatars.
Mercedes-Benz GLS
The Mercedes-Benz GLS is one of the largest SUVs in the Indian car market in terms of sheer size, judging by the cavernous third row in this car. The Discovery was known for its third row space but the new five-seat/seven-seat layout might turn out to be bad news in terms of third row seating. The GLS comes in only one fully loaded trim and the diesel variant costs Rs 75.17 lakhs, ex-showroom while the entry-level Discovery S diesel begins at about Rs 78 lakhs. But then, the Land Rover’s off-road abilities far outstrip the Benz.
Audi Q7
The Audi Q7 has been one of the favourite SUVs in India till the German car maker dragged it too long, thus making it obsolete. The all-new Q7 was introduced last year and in spite of shrinking it a bit, the space inside has grown. If the Discovery’s third row continues its legacy (which we fear it won’t), the Q7 will have a tough time matching that. When it comes to mechanicals, the diesel powertrains are closely matched in terms of performance, but the fully loaded Audi Q7 technology pack is also cheaper than the entry-level Discovery by at least Rs 1 lakh.
BMW X5
The BMW X5 actually starts lower than the new Discovery and both the cars are five-seaters. While the Discovery offers a 335bhp petrol for that price, the BMW offers a 255bhp diesel. The top-spec fully-loaded X5 M Sport comes in at Rs 75.3 lakhs, almost Rs 3 lakhs cheaper than the entry-level Discovery. If you are looking for a road car, the Land Rover certainly has a long way to go especially when the powertrains match almost spec by spec.
Jeep Grand Cherokee
After the German onslaught, here is an American icon which has similar legacy as that of the Land Rover. Both brands are essentially off-roaders that have learnt road manners over time and the Jeep Grand Cherokee does it exactly like that. The Jeep is big and a spacious five seater and the diesel starts approximately at the same price as the Discovery S. But if you are looking for a top-spec car, you can actually get the big fat V8. The Cherokee SRT will cost you almost the same as the First Edition of the Land Rover Discovery.
