Land Rover Discovery Euro NCAP crash test

5 stars. Overall excellent performance in crash protection and well equipped with comprehensive and robust crash avoidance technology

The passenger compartment of the Discovery remained stable in the frontal offset test.  Dummy readings indicated good protection of the knees and femurs for both the driver and passenger.  Land Rover showed that a similar level of protection would be provided to occupants of different sizes and to those sat in different positions.  There was insufficient pressure in the driver's airbag to prevent the head from 'bottoming out' against the steering wheel, and the car was penalised for this.  In the full-width rigid barrier test, protection of the driver was good apart from the chest, protection of which was adequate.  Readings of chest compression in the rear passenger dummy indicated marginal protection for this body area, with good protection of all others.  Dummy readings indicated good protection of all critical body regions in both the side barrier test and the more severe side pole impact.  However, in the barrier test, the driver's door became unlatched and the car was penalised.  Tests on the front seats and head restraints demonstrated good protection against whiplash injury in the event of a rear-end collision.  However, a geometric assessment of the rear seats indicated poor whiplash protection.  The Discovery has, as standard, an autonomous emergency braking system.  In tests of its low-speed functionality, the system performed well with impacts avoided up to 35km/h and the impact speed reduced up to 50km/h.

In the frontal offset test, protection of the neck of the 10 year dummy was rated as marginal, as was that of the chest of the 6 year dummy.  Otherwise, protection was good or adequate.  In the side barrier test, protection of both dummies was rated as good and maximum points were scored.  The front passenger airbag can be disabled to allow a rearward-facing child restraint to be used in that seating position.  Clear information is provided to the driver and the system was rewarded.  Most of the restraint types for which the Discovery is designed could be properly installed and accommodated in the vehicle.

The protection provided to the head of a struck pedestrian was good or adequate at most test locations, with some poor results recorded along the front edge of the bonnet.  The protection offered by pedestrians' legs by the bumper was good and maximum points were scored.  Protection of the pelvis was mixed, with some good and some poor areas.  The autonomous emergency braking system scored maximum points in Euro NCAP's tests of its pedestrian protection, with complete avoidance of the target up to 40km/h and adequate speed mitigation thereafter.

Tests of the autonomous emergency braking system performed well in tests of its functionality at highway speeds.  A lane departure warning system is fitted as standard equipment, as is a driver-set speed limiter.  A seatbelt reminder is standard equipment on all seating positions including, if fitted, the optional third row seats.