The Land Rover Discovery Took On A 110-Tonne Road Train And Won
- Tow Car of the Year, Discovery tows 100m-long road train weight 110 tonnes
- Achieved along 16km of the Lasseter Highway in Australia's Northern Territory
- Discovery features market-leading towing technology
On 20th September 2017, in the Northern Territory, Australia, a Land Rover Discovery undertook the mammoth task of towing a 110-tonne road train through the Australian Outback. This ultimate towing test was completed as an impressive display of the new 2018 Discovery's towing capabilities.
On public roads, the Discovery Td6 has a maximum towing capacity of 3,500kg, but on a closed section of the Lasseter Highway, in a safely controlled environment, the vehicle succeeded in towing the 110-tonne road train for 16km, thanks to the powerful 258PS 3.0-litre diesel engine and four-wheel-drive traction.
This test continues the Land Rover tradition of using Discoveries in impressive towing demonstrations. At the 1989 launch for the original Discovery I, it was used to pull a train. Whilst just last the Discovery Sport premium compact SUV undertook the challenge of towing a three rail carriages across the Rhine River.
"When Land Rover first got in touch, I didn't think the vehicle would be
able to do it, so I was amazed by how easily the standard Discovery
pulled a 110-tonne road train. And the smoothness of the gear changes
under that amount of load was genuinely impressive. These road trains
are the most efficient form of road haulage on the planet and using the
Discovery made this the most economical of all."
John Bilato, Managing Director of Haulage Specialist G4S Transport
The Discovery used in the challenge was fitted with a standard eight-speed automatic transmission, four-wheel drive system and a factory-fitted tow bar attachment. The new 2018 Discovery model is available with Jaguar Land Rover's new and efficient 300PS four-cylinder Ingenium petrol engine which is capable of producing 400Nm of torque with CO2 emissions of 222g/km.
Land Rover received recognition for the towing power of the new
Discovery earlier this year as the model was crowned Tow Car Awards
overall winner for 2017. In the previous ten years, the Discovery has
won this award nine times. The judges praised the Discovery for its
all-around capability, including towing, storage and accuracy of
manufacturer towing advice, whilst also giving recognition to the models
overall price and ownership costs.
Making towing easy in the Land Rover Discovery is a range of driver
assistance systems. The Advanced Tow Assist technology provides
responsive trajectory lines on the rear camera, allowing the driver to
reverse without stress. Also featured are Trailer Light Test, Rear
Height Assist, Hitch Assist, Nose Load Measurement and Trailer Stability
Assist.
"Towing
capability has always been an important part of Discovery DNA and the
raw weight of the road train tells only half the story here. Pulling a
rig and seven trailers, with the rolling resistance of so many axles to
overcome, is a huge achievement. We expected the vehicle to do well but
it passed this test with flying colours, hitting 44km/h along its 16km
route."
Quentin Spottiswoode, Land Rover Product Engineer
For more information on the Land Rover Discovery and to book your test drive, please contact Harwoods Land Rover.