The third-generation Land Rover Discovery, the Discovery 3,
was introduced in 2004. It was a much more contemporary design
than its predecessor, which, although capable, was starting
to look quite dated.
The LR3 name was chosen for the North American market.
Like almost all Land Rovers, the Discovery 3 was an extremely
capable off-roader. It was fitted with multiple electronic traction
control systems. Hill Descent Control (HDC) prevented vehicle
'runaways' when descending steep gradients and 4-wheel Electronic
Traction Control (4ETC) prevented wheel spin in low-traction
conditions. An on-road system, Dynamic Stability Control (DSC)
prevented skidding when steering and braking at speed.
What the LR3 did was make almost any regular driver, a bit of
an off-road expert. It took many of the comlicated drivetrain
choices often associated with off-road driving and let the computer
decide how best to handle it. The driver just had to choose
from pre-programmed settings, selecting from "Sand",
"Grass, Gravel and Snow", "Mud and Ruts"
and "Rock Crawl".
The Land Rover Discovery 3 was offered with a range of engines,
including V6 and V8 gasoline options. Or a 2.7 litre V6 disel
unit which unfortunatley never made it Stateside.
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