With the apparent success of the Discovery 1 for the 10 years of its life starting in 1989, the Rover Group continued the product marque with what it said were 720 new innovation differences that would define its Land Rover Discovery 2 line.
It was introduced in the autumn of 1998 in Europe and a year later in the US. From a distance, once really can’t distinguish between the two. But that was superficial. A closer look and the difference in the interior and exterior body parts become obvious to improve its looks though compromising its utilitarian qualities.
Enhanced Discovery 1
Every body part on the Discovery II had been reworked as a 5-door SUV with the rear section extended to improve loading space than what the first Discovery had. But this caused unnecessary overhang that adversely reduced its all-terrain performance.
Its diesel engine was streamlined with the Defender engine to use the same 2.5 litter Td5 direct injection inline 5-cylinder. It got better torque at lower revolutions than its Tdi predecessor. People mistook the Td5 to be a BMW engine but it was a Rover L-series engine used in the marque’s passenger cars developed by Rover itself.
The 4.0 liter V8 engine used in the previous Discovery models was likewise updated with a revised intake system that didn’t provide any improved power. But it was fitted with electronics to better manage its hydraulic anti-roll bar system using ACE (Active Cornering Enhancement). In addition, self-leveling air springs were fitted in 7-seater models.
In 2001, after BMW sold the Rover Group to the Ford Motor company a year earlier, the Discovery II marque continued to get enhanced. The gear train with the locking differential was removed as its traction control and a newly designed Hill Descent Control made it redundant. But because its removal did not provide the same level of smoothness and control, the 2004 models saw its reinstatement as an optional features buyer can have for an added cost, though it comes standard in the top end HSE and SE models.
Special Models
A few Discovery II special edition vehicles came out based on the 5-door body variant with the windows made opaque to impart a van-like look. The last improvements over its 5-year lifespan were hardly substantial and were more cosmetic both inside and out.
The Discovery II’s final production run in 2004 saw only two new facelifted models coming out in the UK market using the base model “Pursuit” and the high end “Landmark” models that offered genuine leather seats, twin sunroofs, ACE, heated windscreens and six-disc CD changers.
In addition, they now sport rear self-leveling suspension systems as standard features. The last revision came with the added interior climate control, roof bars, alloy wheels and a marine ply board with rubber mat in the rear loadspace as standard specs. The last Land Rover Discovery II left the production line in late May 2004, giving room for the more advanced Discovery III for Europe or LR3 in the US markets.
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