Land Rover

Discovery Commercial

With the go-anywhere capability of a traditional Discovery, bundles of high-end kit and all the practicality of a van, the Discovery Commercial offers the very best of both worlds to business drivers who need their vehicles to go that extra mile but still enjoy life’s luxuries along the way.

The good

Handling, styling, technology and practicality

The bad

Expensive for a van

Tech Specs

Price from

£58,460 (incl. VAT)

Combined Fuel up to

31.9mpg

0-62 from

6.8 seconds

max speed up to

130mph

co2 from

232

Test Drive

Land Rover Discovery Commercial – First Drive (2021)

Land Rover’s hard working Discovery model may have gone a bit upmarket these days, but now there is a new commercial version that offers all the creature comforts imaginable, combined with van-like practicality.

The Discovery Commercial is powered by a 3.0-litre 300hp V6 diesel engine with mild hybrid electric vehicle technology matched to an eight-speed automatic gearbox. There are two trim levels called SE or HSE, costing £58,460 (on-the-road) and HSE £63,130 OTR respectively.

A single glance in the Discovery Commercial’s direction and it’s hard to tell it apart from the passenger car which was a deliberate move by Land Rover, although business owners can have their company name added to the rear doors.

It is based on the recently facelifted 2020 Discovery model and features the likes of redesigned bumpers, along with new LED headlights and tail lights.

Our test car, in SE trim level, had signature daytime running lights, privacy glass, animated directional indicators and special badging. Black roof rails, costing £330 extra, along with an electrically-deployable tow bar priced at £1,130, added to the vehicle’s dynamic styling.

But, it’s inside that the dramatic changes have taken place with the seats in rows two and three removed to open up a large load space area that is separated from the driver and front passenger by a permanent metal partition.

The loading bay measures 1,638mm in length, 1,411mm in width and is 902mm high. It can carry a 2,024-litres load with a weight of up to 784kg.

The tailgate is power-operated and there is a fold out section that makes loading awkwardly-shaped or heavy items easier or it is just ideal to sit on for a coffee break.

There are convenient lockable compartments under the floor which is really practical if you are carrying valuable tools every day, and there are high sided rubber mats up front and a rubber mat in the back – all of which can be hosed down if they become too grubby.

Many owners will expect their vehicle to be an accomplished workhorse capable of driving across rough ground and there are no better vans out there than the Discovery at this.

Thanks to the renowned Terrain Response 2 system, the vehicle can wade through water up to 900mm in depth, drop down slippery banks, climb steep hills and clamber over rocks. It can also tow a trailer weighing up to 3.5 tonnes. So, a farm environment or building site should be a doddle.

There is a wealth of high-end on-board technology at your disposal too with the latest Pivi Pro infotainment system, along with an 11.4-inch touchscreen, a 12-speaker Meridian surround sound system, a 12.3-inch interactive driver display, full smartphone connectivity via Apple CarPlay or Android Auto, DAB radio, two-zone climate control and a faster navigation system with 2D and 3D mapping.

When it comes to performance and handling, the Discovery Commercial, with 300hp of power on tap and 650Nm of torque, is blisteringly fast out the blocks. It can sprint to 62mph from a standstill in just 6.8 seconds – that’s impressive for a van – and it maxes out at 130mph.

The introduction of mild hybrid technology means there is a small electric motor added to the mix and this assists the engine and also helps to regenerate energy when braking. The official running costs, under WLTP testing, are a combined 31.9mpg with carbon emissions of 232g/km.

And there are added financial savings for owners too as the Discovery Commercial is classed as a light commercial vehicle so has fixed van tax rates. As a result, the first year VED will be just £275 and the Benefit in Kind rate for business users is based on a standard flat rate of £3,500.

When it comes to handling, the Discovery Commercial will be one of the most refined vans on the road. It boasts excellent grip into bends, minimal body sway and sharp acceleration through the gearbox with steering wheel-mounted paddles for extra driver engagement.

As one would expect, the list of safety features is comprehensive too and includes blind spot assist, lane keep assist, emergency braking, rear traffic monitor, traffic sign recognition, adaptive speed limiter, cruise control with speed limiter, clear exit monitor, wade sensing, a 3D surround camera, a driver condition monitor and airbags.

The only real downside is that as an LCV, the Discovery Commercial has to be driven within the speed limits for that class of vehicle. That means 10mph slower on dual carriageways and some single lane roads.

Also, the driver visibility is not brilliant with the solid rear doors blocking out the over-the-shoulder view and the criss-cross partition partly obscuring the rear view.

But those minor gripes aside, and of course the fairly hefty price-tag, and the Discovery Commercial is quite a catch and will certainly attract plenty of attention from existing pick-up drivers with the likes of VW, Fiat and Mercedes withdrawing from that sector.

For more details, visit Land Rover here.

For more reviews, visit Carjourno here.