One of the reasons Disco 3 weighs as much as it does is that it retains a separate body and frame, rather than adopting a lighter monocoque architecture. Two reasons: there's huge strength and off-road potential in a separate chassis; and because variants of this frame are also to be used on other upcoming Land Rovers - probably the Range Rover Sport, certainly the next-generation Defender. But there's more to it than bolting on a different body to the chassis and calling it a new model - Land Rover dubs the steelwork an Integrated Body Frame, and bodywork and frame are developed in tandem. "The body contributes to the stiffness of the frame, and likewise the other way," says chassis manager Iain McArthur.
"The body doesn't just sit on top of the frame, it sits over it," confirms body and chassis chief Mark White, and that body is fixed to the part-cast, part-hydroformed and fabricated frame with 10 compliant mounts, five on each side. Most of the components - engine, transmission, suspension, spare wheel and so on - mount to the frame, which is claimed to be extremely strong. White: "EuroNCAP test results won't be available until after Discovery 3 has gone on sale, but we're targeting outstanding performance in European and US tests. We believe this is the safest car Land Rover has made."
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Suspension is by double-wishbone front and rear, and for the first time independent on a Disco. Wheel travel is impressive at 250mm at the front, 330mm at the rear. Base models will have coil-sprung suspension, with higher-spec models getting air-springs, just like the Range Rover. The air-springs will be combined with new active suspension and a traction control system called Terrain Response, which has different programmes for each type of off-roading. As standard, the car opts for General Driving mode, but you can switch on low-friction Grass/Gravel/Snow, Mud and Ruts, Sand, or Rock Crawl, during which power delivery, traction control and wheel movements are subtly altered to give optimum grip and wheel travel.
There's a little LCD screen in the cabin which gives the details of the system's status, and also displays which way the wheels are pointing, handy if you've got lock wound on off-road, but don't realise it because the steering wheel appears straight. On models with the big-screen sat-nav, this feature shows itself in full colour, while also displaying wheel travel and diff-lock status.
