DISCOVERY SVX UNVEILED, AND IT’S COMING TO AUSTRALIA IN 2018.
FRESH-FACED TOYOTA DUE FOR NOVEMBER LAUNCH
http://www.4x4australia.com.au 131L
AND ROVER revealed its Discovery
SVX concept at the 2017 Frankfurt
Motor Show. The SVX, powered by a
386kW/625Nm supercharged 5.0-litre
V8 petrol engine, features raised body
height, significant suspension mods, 275/
R20 Goodyear Wrangler rubber wrapped
around forged-alloy wheels, an integrated
rear-mounted electric winch, and front
recovery points.
The big differences between this Disco
and the ‘regular’ model include a system
called Hydraulic Active Roll Control
(H-ARC), which has been designed to up
wheel articulation for off-roading, while
better controlling bodyroll on-road.
This combines with plenty of
engineering work done to
improve approach, breakover
and departure angles – achieved
through a combination of lifting
the Disco’s monocoque body
and air suspension set-up, which
allowed fitment of those big tyres.To make enough room for those tyres and
to enable improved articulation, revised
knuckles and long-travel shocks were fitted.
On top of these mods, the SVX also cops
active centre and rear locking diffs, along
with a tweaked Terrain Response 2 off-road
system and modified eight-speed auto.
Land Rover has also fitted a ‘pistol shifter’,
a more traditionally designed gearshift to
“offer the driver optimum control of gear
selection in off-road manoeuvres”.
If the raised suspension and big tyres
don’t give away the fact the SVX is
different, off-road-skewed styling cues such
as model-specific front and rear bumpers
(with skid plates), bright
orange recovery
points, exclusive
paint schemeand plenty of SVX logos dotted around the
vehicle should.
A diesel engine powering this Discovery
would make it a more viable off-road
tourer, without a doubt. Still, it looks bloody
impressive and we can only hope that some
of its modifications do trickle down to the
regular diesel models in the near future.
For those with the dosh, you can register
your interest at http://www.landrover.com.au.
Hell, we might even register ourselves – any
chance to get this thing dirty, we’ll take it.
The SVX will be available here in Q3 of- Expect local pricing to set you back
north of $117K.
T
OYOTA has revealed a facelifted
Prado that will go on sale here in
November.
With a chiselled new bonnet and
fresh headlights and grille, the Prado’s
front end takes on a look closer to the Land
Cruiser 200 Series. New tail-lights mark the
most prominent change at the rear.
There are no major mechanical changes
to the refreshed Prado, except the poor-
selling V6 petrol engine option has been
discontinued and the new range will
continue exclusively with the 1GD 2.8-litre,
four-cylinder diesel engine backed by a
choice of six-speed automatic or manual
gearboxes and full-time four-wheel drive
with low range.
One feature that will be appreciated
by off-roaders is the inclusion of the rear
differential lock that was previously only
available in Prado Kakadu models. It’s now
standard fit on VX and GXL grades.
Significantly, some of the driver-aid tech
features that were previously only availableon the top-end Kakadu and VX grades
are now standard on the GXL and GX
specifications. These include lane departure
warnings, a pre-collision safety system
and automatic cruise control. A blind spot
monitor and rear cross traffic alert are now
fitted to the VX grade as standard, while
the Kakadu retains all these
features.
Revisions to the interior
centre on the dashboard
and gauges, which have
been tweaked to deliver a
more premium look.
In a segment dominated
by soft-roaders, the off-road-
ready Prado is Australia’s
best-selling large SUV
(according to VFACTS)
and it’s breaking the trend
towards soft-roaders, with its
11,001 sales to date in 2017
representing an increase of
8.3 per cent over the samesales period last year.
No details on the price range as yet, but
these will be revealed closer to the
November launch. Currently, the Prado
range starts with the GX at $54,050 through
to the Kakadu at $85,900.WORDS
MATT RAUDONIKIS
DISCO SVX REVEALED
FACELIFTED PRADO
WORDS
JUSTIN W
ALKER