The 2018 Land Rover Discovery Commercial is a new van version of the firm’s full-size 4×4, and ordering is now open with prices starting from £40,333 plus VAT (that’s £48,695 on the road). Deliveries of the Discovery van begin in spring 2018.
To show off its 1,856 litres of load space, Land Rover teamed up with ‘Christmas tree through your letterbox’ retailer Bloom & Wild, to pack in 300 Christmas trees and transport them from its Netherlands farm back to the UK. Cue one distinctively-liveried Discovery Commercial, and a video to showcase its versatility.
The new Discovery Commercial is the latest in a line of Discovery vans dating back to the original 1989 Discovery 1, and JLR UK MD Jeremy Hicks said it has always been a key part of the range. “But the latest version brings new levels of practicality, versatility, and premium levels of comfort that showcase the vehicles’ hard-working DNA.”
A two-seater, the Discovery Commercial replaces the second and third row of seats with a tough rubber-lined interior and metal bulkhead behind the front seats to stop errant loads sliding forward.
The loadspace is 1,635mm long, 1,411mm wide and 939mm high. Land Rover says square loads measuring 1,000mm by 735mm will fit through the boot – and all Discovery Commercials come with a powered tailgate as standard. The 3.5-tonne towing capacity remains.
It’s good news for the image-conscious, too. Land Rover hasn’t fitted metal-covered rear panels; instead, it’s tinted the rear window glass, meaning the Discovery Commercial is pretty much indistinguishable from a regular Discovery with dark-tinted rear glass. The neighbours need never know your new Disco is a VAT-free van for business use.
The Discovery Commercial is offered in S, SE and HSE trim, with either a 2.0 SD4 240hp four-cylinder turbodiesel, or a 3.0 TD6 258hp V6 turbodiesel. Both are 4WD, come with an eight-speed automatic as standard, and also have a two-speed transfer box and air suspension. Terrain Response is standard: surface-sensing Terrain Response 2 is optional.
What else is standard? InControl Touch Pro, cruse control, autonomous emergency braking, grained leather electric seats and 19-inch alloys: for £4,600 extra, the SE adds LED front headlamps, two-zone climate control and all-round parking sensors, plus heated front seats and Navigation Pro infotainment.
The HSE costs £5,200 over SE and includes 20-inch alloys, Windsor leather seats, Meridian audio, electric steering column, keyless entry, rear-view camera and an adaptive speed limiter with traffic sign recognition. Far from your stripped-out commercial van tool.
But then, it has the price tag to match: on the road, a range-topping Land Rover Discovery Commercial 3.0 TD6 HSE costs £59,995…
New 2018 Land Rover Discovery Commercial prices
2.0 SD4 240 4WD
- Commercial S: £48,695 (of which VAT is £8,066)
- Commercial SE: £53,295 (of which VAT is £8,833)
- Commercial HSE: £58,495 (of which VAT is £9,700)
3.0 TD6 258 4WD
- Commercial S: £50,195 (of which VAT is £8,316)
- Commercial SE: £54,695 (of which VAT is £9,066)
- Commercial HSE: £59,995 (of which VAT is £9,950)