IMHO this vehicle looks fantastic. Interior needs work but all in all great to look at. Several LR Discovery cues built into the design. The styling is modern, sporty yet unconventional. The body panels look robust with all the detailed lines, corners and edges, in contrast to a plan flat panel with a boring strip of trim plastic running the length of the vehicle as is the case with Discovery 3/4. Plus the optional pickup version makes this platform much more utilitarian and versatile. The only issue I see with this truck is its small size.

Land Rovers used to stand out in the crowd from a mile away, due in part to their unconventional styling and boxy shape. Seems to me the design department got lazy with Discovery starting in 2005. Toyota and Mahindra have picked up where Land Rover left off. Examples being Toyota's 70 series Land Cruiser and 4-Runner and this here Mahindra Scorpio 2nd generation.

 

 

Hi TRIARII, the markets have changed and LR moved forward to accommodate the road cruisers who represent the largest part of their market. Long gone are the tinkerers and DIY modifiers and most these days put them into a dealership for servicing, repairs etc. The Defender has gone along with the D2 and D1 so the divergence is to cleaner people friendly LR3's and LR4's and now the whole new generation of Discovery's and Range Rovers, I'm afraid you like me, belong to another era but I'm afraid it's long gone so we have to accept the changes in the 'greener healthier' world, I'm informed, where the Ingenium engine and 8 speed ZF now rules the planet.

 

Im aware and have come to terms. I just find it interesting how some larger companies have found a happy medium. A way to offer more models to more people for every need. Where Land Rover gave up and threw in the towel (thus abandoning some of their loyal fans) Toyota, Jeep and Mahindra fight on.

 

I will never like the body style of an LR3/LR4 more than a RRC/D1/D2, but vs the jelly bean looking SUV's out there the LR3/LR4 does stand out as being boxy. My RRC/D1/D2 also don't get nearly 21MPG on a road trip either. I'm doing good if I get 13MPG tops in my D2's.

The LR3 was designed to be more aerodynamic and to have smoother lines. I think LR did a better job going from the D2 to the LR3 vs Jeep going from the JK/JKU to the JL/JLU. That thing is just a 50K wanna be Mercedes G-Wagon, but without any refinement found in the Mercedes.

I'm all about classic body styles, but honestly the LR3 grows on ya. At first I really didn't like it's design or stance, but when I walk out of a store away from my D2's for example surrounded by modern SUV offerings the LR3 looks amazing vs the stuff out there now.