I had an interesting experience yesterday, I had to visit a small company and in their car park was a grey Discovery Sport, there was no one about so I had a quick walk around it and off I went. When I came back the grey DS had gone but in its place was a red one with the owner standing nearby. I went and had a chat, usual stuff about how is it etc got the expected result that it was very nice etc until I asked how he was getting on with the extra seats in the back. I got a blank look so we went around to the boot and as it opened I realised that it was actually a Range Rover Sport ! It may say something about me or that I was expecting to see something and made a big assumption but I honestly couldn't tell the difference from close up.

It reminded me of the problem that Ford had years ago with the Granada (aimed at senior executives) which lost a lot of sales when people started to think/realise it was just a big Sierra (aimed at reps). Is there a message for JLR here I wonder? 3 x FL1 2 manual + 1 auto
5 x FL2 4 manual + 1 auto
Now Discovery Sport P250 MHEV SE

Did the Granada just look like a big cortina.

Ford exaggerated the blob in respect of the Granada and it was awful in its final guise, lets hope LR don't follow that trend, maybe the top brass should stand back and take a deep breath with a wall full of photographs of the new products and their rivals especially from a distance. my PC is slightly to the right of Genghis
2012 HSE SD4 In Orkney Grey now gone, best car ever.

3disco wrote:

Did the Granada just look like a big cortina.

Even side by side they look very similar apart from a few cosmetic changes around the lights but if you saw one on it's own at a glance and didn't read RangeRover I wonder how many would know the difference?

Does anyone know how much of the mechanical bits underneath are common? 3 x FL1 2 manual + 1 auto
5 x FL2 4 manual + 1 auto
Now Discovery Sport P250 MHEV SE

Manufacturers are being forced down a road they wouldn't have chosen themself, over the years they have been forced to produce cars that use less oil, the story being it will run out soon, we now know this is codswallop and the oil reserves are massive.
A new story has been invented that the product of oil consumption, CO2 is destroying the planet, this is leading manufacturers to cut CO2 emissions not only from the engines but also from the manufacturing process, one way, a very effective way is commonality of parts and design.

There is one shape, above all, that causes minimal drag, a teardrop like shape, the 4x4 market is pretty much stuck to employing this basic design. Once you have this basic design, it's a strong shape, mechanically, therefore lends itself to safety without adding weight, a critical factor when engines are becoming smaller, engineers seem to be getting excellent power levels from small engines but little torque, so hybrid technology will come into play, until it, in itself, is viable then we won't see a return to more bold designs, by which time the 4x4, or SUV market will have moved on and become a niche rather than mass market.

Until such time, expect more of the same, if you put all the current SUV's together, cover up the badges and try and pick out the LR priducts, I bet the vast majority would spot the LR products, something that couldn't be said for many of the others, especially Oriental products.

Good comment Paul.
Another interesting quote this week from Steve Cropley of Autocar (whose opinions I've come to respect), on a 140 mile drive, he thinks DS handles better than a RRS, mostly due to less weight. Due credit to Mike Cross the JLR ride and handling guru.
I look forward to getting an exended test drive soon to add to the 10-min quick try Ripon LR gave me a month ago with it's first demo car Gone... 2013 XS TD4 Manual Firenze Red
Gone... 2008 (09MY) XS Td4 Manual Stornaway Grey
Prior... 2003 G4 Discovery 2, 1998 Disco 1 and 1997 Disco 1 Company car before that
Also gone in Nov'13, after 7.5 yrs, to new owners with time for more TLC - 1980 Series III 88
Current 2015 Discovery Sport HSE 2.0

Although I'm not going to get into the debate Taz, I don't think the CO2/global warming thing is a story and cutting emissions is a very good thing. This kind of thing pushes innovation, whether it be of engines, materials or batteries. All of this has an impact and in the large it is a good thing.

But yes like every other brand, all the stuff looks the same. The Disco and FL2 looked individual. They had edges, corners and tall bits. They had character. That has all be sucked away. Mind you, once you're inside the car does it matter, as long as it does what you need it to and in a nice way? FL2 TD4 GS 60 reg Facelift - so many issues
2019 DS. Terribly unreliable.
Sold DS for a 2021 Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV. Fingers crossed....
Sold Outlander for a 2014 SD4 SE Tech because I’m mental
Now greatly regret selling the Outlander. MPG of the FL2 is atrocious and so are the fuel bills. Fun though 😎
Couldn’t afford the fuel bills so back to an older Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV. Significantly better than I remembered it to be…

Some of us want a utility vehicle for larger load capability in the rear and larger rear entrance, should SUV's go the way they are going then many will go down the van conversion route like larger Partner and Caddy vans with the 4x4 option. The demand increases so will manufactures supply them and we will get real LR's again, everything goes in circles. my PC is slightly to the right of Genghis
2012 HSE SD4 In Orkney Grey now gone, best car ever.

You can still buy a real Land Rover, it's called Defender or perhaps you don't like it that real. 21MY Defender 90 S 3.0 D200

One of them is too short and the other too long  my PC is slightly to the right of Genghis
2012 HSE SD4 In Orkney Grey now gone, best car ever.

j77 wrote:

You can still buy a real Land Rover, it's called Defender or perhaps you don't like it that real.

for me much of my love for my FL2 is the look and feel rather than what it cam actually do. I certainly don't utilise it fully. A Defender is a step too far for me and a huge jump too far for my wife  FL2 TD4 GS 60 reg Facelift - so many issues
2019 DS. Terribly unreliable.
Sold DS for a 2021 Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV. Fingers crossed....
Sold Outlander for a 2014 SD4 SE Tech because I’m mental
Now greatly regret selling the Outlander. MPG of the FL2 is atrocious and so are the fuel bills. Fun though 😎
Couldn’t afford the fuel bills so back to an older Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV. Significantly better than I remembered it to be…

There's no pleasing some people, too long, too short  21MY Defender 90 S 3.0 D200