Land Rover Discovery vs Volvo XC90 vs Volkswagen Touareg: which one is the best value for money?

If you’re in the rather enviable position of shopping within the premium SUV segment you're spoilt for choice, so in today's comparison, we pit the Land Rover Discovery against two rivals that are often overlooked, but offer great packages within the market, namely, the Volvo XC90 and the Volkswagen Touareg.

The Land Rover Discovery presents a relatively unique proposition within the luxury SUV space. Its massive model line-up features 17 derivatives, four engines and five spec-grades to choose from. This means that the Discovery price range spans across a few segments, ranging from R1 090 074 for the base model discovery S Sd4 to the Discovery HSE Luxury Si6 which retails for R1 617 084. For our comparison today let us use the popular six-cylinder diesel Discovery in mid-level SE guise and compare it with the flagship Volkswagen Touareg V6 TDI and Volvo’s XC90 D5 AWD R-design

 

Related: Land Rover Discovery vs Volkswagen Touareg vs Audi Q7: which one has the lowest running costs?

 

The competitors

	Land Rover Discovery SE Td6	Volvo XC90 D5 AWD R-Design	Volkswagen Touareg V6 TDI Executive R-Line
Engine size	6-cyl, 3.0-litre diesel	4-cyl, 2.0-litre diesel	6-cyl, 3.0-litre diesel
Power/Torque	190 kW/600 Nm	173 kW/480 Nm	190 kW/600 Nm
Kerb Weight	2 230 kg	1 999 kg	2 040 kg
Towing Capacity(braked)	3 500 kg	2 700 kg	3 500 kg
Airbag count	6	6	8
Load Volume	1231-2500 litres (258-1231-2500 with optional 7 seats)	314-692-1947-litres	810-1800
Top speed	209 km/h	220 km/h	235 km/h
Claimed consumption	8.1 L/100 km	7.8 L/100 km	7.1 L/100 km
Warranty	5 yr/100 000 km	5 yr/ 100 000km	3 yr/120 000 km
Price	R 1 332 456	R 1 258 000	R 1 334 500

 

Comparing the trio

Practicality

Having looked at the figures, we can see that even though the Volvo features the smallest engine and the lowest power output, it is also the cheapest and the lightest while offering seating for seven. The Discovery features an optional seating for seven feature which must be specified, however, the flexibility of its interior and the space that it provides, in general, is very impressive. The Touareg is a five-seater-only model, however, it features a large boot and a practical loading area which is certainly competitive for its segment.

Power and performance

While out-and-out performance is not the forte of any of our trio here, large luxury SUVs require a degree of power and torque to tow and carry the variety of things that their owners demand of them. A glance at the figures we see two six-cylinder diesel engines, one four-cylinder and three 8-speed automatic gearboxes, although the Volvo’s is as an Aisin unit while the Land Rover and Volkswagen have ZF-sourced ‘boxes.

The performance advantage goes to the Volkswagen Touareg, which is only slightly heavier than the Volvo but more powerful.  The Volvo’s big disadvantage is its smaller capacity engine, which on the flip side, also makes it is the most frugal of the contenders, on paper at least. The hefty Discovery is the heaviest of the bunch, but likely middle-of-the-pack when it comes to performance by virtue of its potent six-cylinder diesel engine which can tow the same amount as the Touareg.

When it comes to performance off-road though, the Discovery is truly in a league of its own, with its Terrain Response system and monstrous 283mm of ground clearance making its limitation what sort of tyres are fitted. While both the Volvo and Touareg feature trick all-wheel drive systems witch off-road modes, which are more specific in the Volkswagen, both products are less suited to off-road conditions than the Land Rover. Volkswagen has not quoted the ground clearance of the Touareg; however, its air suspension system likely puts it in the same ballpark as the Volvo, which features 238mm of clearance.

Specification

A look at the specification sheets for these three models and the amount of kit available to the owners is impressive. A key consideration is the fact that both the Volkswagen and Land Rover feature air suspension as standard while it is an optional extra on the Volvo. In terms of standard alloy wheels, the Volkswagen features 21-inch items, the Discovery has 19-inch wheels and the Volvo 20-inch alloys as standard.

 

The Volkswagen is impressive in terms of its specification, featuring heated electric front seats, full leather upholstery, a panoramic roof, keyless operation, adaptive cruise control, 8 airbags and Matrix LED headlamps. The Volkswagen also features the Innovision Cockpit which includes a 12-inch digital instrument cluster and the 15.0-inch Discover Premium infotainment system, comfortably the best among the three.

 

The Volvo and Land Rover do trump the Touareg with features such as ambient interior lighting and lane-keeping assists though. All three models feature climate control, front electric seats, ISOFIX child seat anchor points at the rear, which is also available on the third row in the Discovery and all model feature a raft of off-road systems such as hill descent control, stability and traction control and hill start assist.

 

 

Safety

All three of these models score the maximum 5-Stars in the respective EuroNCAP crash safety tests. The XC90 wins the segment, with 97% for adult occupant safety, 87% for child occupant safety, 72% for pedestrian safety and 94% for its safety assist systems. The Touareg also impressed, with 89% for adult occupant safety, 86% for child occupant safety, 72% for pedestrian safety and 81% for its safety assist systems. The Discovery comes third in this test, scoring 90% for adult occupant safety, 80% for child occupant safety, 75% for pedestrian safety and 73% for its safety assist systems.

 

Warranties & maintenance plans

All three of these contenders are sold with a 5-year-/100 000km maintenance plan as standard.

 

Verdict

Having looked at the facts and figures for all three of these competitors, it becomes apparent just how impressive the luxury SUV segment now is in terms of capability and technology. There must be a winner and, in this test, the Volkswagen Touareg V6 TDI Executive R-Line takes the honours by virtue of its impressive performance, respectable safety, superior standard equipment level and reasonable off-road ability.

 

The Volvo is hampered by its smaller engine and lack of standard feature, which offset its pricing advantage. The Discovery provides a fantastic package too, however, in SE guise it has fewer features than the Volkswagen, meaning that perhaps and HSE variant would be more comparable, but that comes at a price.

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