You'd be hard pushed to spot the new LR4 from its predecessor from a distance. It gets a bit easier up close, but at first glance the new model hardly seems like a revelation. So is it just another facelift for the venerable little sister to the Range Rover or a drastically different car to take on the world's middleweight off-roaders? The only way to find out with a brand like Land Rover is to try it both on road and off road.
But before we get onto the LR4 a little history lesson is in order. The "Disco", as it's commonly known among Land Rover aficionados, has been around for decades. It was launched back in 1989 and immediately hit the headlines for its edgy design and great off-road ability.
Despite gaining a reputation for mechanical maladies and problems with rust in wetter countries, the car became a cult classic, with "green laners" and desert warriors alike catching on to the Discovery's go-anywhere chassis and engine.
The car proved its worth even further when Land Rover sponsored the Camel Trophy adventure challenge. The safari-prepared cars, complete with bright "sandglow" yellow paintwork, tackled some of the world's toughest roads, and survived. The company went on to sponsor the event until 1998, using every car in its range for the toughest of endurance adventures.
But despite Land Rover pulling out of the Trophy, the brand had already latched onto the adventure tag and launched its very own version, called the G4 Challenge, with a bright orange Discovery special edition. The famous Disco, in whichever guise, was by now a household name.
When Land Rover decided to relaunch the Discovery in 2004, they took the odd decision to call it the LR3 in some markets, while maintaining the Discovery badge in others. Whatever they called it, the LR3 was a major leap forward from the ageing original.
A more modern design, clever folding third-row seats and fantastic off-road ability kept the core essence of the Discovery, while opening up the car to a whole new range of potential buyers. It still maintained the popular stadium seating arrangement and was purpose built to be tough enough for the key adventure market. Most would never do more than the school run, but the capability was there.
This brings us neatly to the end of last year and launch of the LR4. Yet another new name (although many markets still use the Discovery name) for a car that at first glance seems smoother and cleaner. But what else is different?
The LR4 gains new bumpers and a smart two-bar grille, as well as some serious bling in the lighting department, with both the front and rear getting LED lights as standard. The mirrors, handles and exterior trim items have been painted body colour to tidy everything up and the car sits in 19-inch rims as standard, with an option for some very anti-off road 20-inch wheels.
Mechanically, pretty much everything is different, with new suspension and running gear upgrades from the Range Rover Sport. Despite the old model's excellent off-road capability, the LR4 is even better. Dunes are dispatched with ease and the car feels stable and at home with the ground moving underneath its feet.
Under the hood of the V8 model is a monumental 5.0L engine producing 385hp. Despite the weight of the car it accelerates from a standing start at a startling pace. Even at well over the legal motorway limit speeds, the LR4 seems to be hardly trying.
The biggest change is inside, where the company has obviously spent most of its efforts. The whole interior has been redesigned, with a new fascia and centre console. Drivers now get a TFT screen rather than traditional dials, as well as the now widespread push button start. Even the seats have been redesigned for further comfort and all occupants get some rather funky mood lighting.
As you'd expect, the Land Rover LR4 is great to drive and looks better than its predecessor, but isn't different enough to upset the set-in-stone Land Rover fans. It has a few annoying traits, such as the doors that never seem to close without a hefty slam and a boot that never seems to be shut no matter how many times you slam it, but oddly it always is.
The centre console screen isn't easy to use on the move and the key is far too heavy and chunky (a common trait across the industry). But all these are insignificant things that won't stop anyone buying one. Its rivals tend to have a longer list of problems, so no one at Land Rover will be losing any sleep over my gripes anytime soon.
On the plus side, the car feels incredibly strong, ruggedly built, but importantly far more luxurious than the old LR3. It's nimble when you need it and quiet and refined when you want to relax. Hit the throttle and it drops its quiet demeanour and sets off like a scalded cat. I'm still not sure if it can be called a Disco anymore here in the Gulf region, but it certainly seems to want to dance when politely asked.
The five pillars of Islam
1. Fasting
2. Prayer
3. Hajj
4. Shahada
5. Zakat
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Document everything immediately; including dates, times, locations and witnesses
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In criminal cases, you can contact the police for additional support
MATCH INFO
Europa League semi-final, second leg
Atletico Madrid (1) v Arsenal (1)
Where: Wanda Metropolitano
When: Thursday, May 3
Live: On BeIN Sports HD
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The Book of Collateral Damage
Sinan Antoon
(Yale University Press)
MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League semi-final, second leg
Real Madrid (2) v Bayern Munich (1)
Where: Santiago Bernabeu, Madrid
When: 10.45pm, Tuesday
Watch Live: beIN Sports HD
Wydad 2 Urawa 3
Wydad Nahiri 21’, Hajhouj 90'
Urawa Antonio 18’, 60’, Kashiwagi 26’
LIVING IN...
This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.
A State of Passion
Directors: Carol Mansour and Muna Khalidi
Stars: Dr Ghassan Abu-Sittah
Rating: 4/5
The past Palme d'Or winners
2018 Shoplifters, Hirokazu Kore-eda
2017 The Square, Ruben Ostlund
2016 I, Daniel Blake, Ken Loach
2015 Dheepan, Jacques Audiard
2014 Winter Sleep (Kış Uykusu), Nuri Bilge Ceylan
2013 Blue is the Warmest Colour (La Vie d'Adèle: Chapitres 1 et 2), Abdellatif Kechiche, Adele Exarchopoulos and Lea Seydoux
2012 Amour, Michael Haneke
2011 The Tree of Life, Terrence Malick
2010 Uncle Boonmee Who Can Recall His Past Lives (Lung Bunmi Raluek Chat), Apichatpong Weerasethakul
2009 The White Ribbon (Eine deutsche Kindergeschichte), Michael Haneke
2008 The Class (Entre les murs), Laurent Cantet
Mercer, the investment consulting arm of US services company Marsh & McLennan, expects its wealth division to at least double its assets under management (AUM) in the Middle East as wealth in the region continues to grow despite economic headwinds, a company official said.
Mercer Wealth, which globally has $160 billion in AUM, plans to boost its AUM in the region to $2-$3bn in the next 2-3 years from the present $1bn, said Yasir AbuShaban, a Dubai-based principal with Mercer Wealth.
“Within the next two to three years, we are looking at reaching $2 to $3 billion as a conservative estimate and we do see an opportunity to do so,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Mercer does not directly make investments, but allocates clients’ money they have discretion to, to professional asset managers. They also provide advice to clients.
“We have buying power. We can negotiate on their (client’s) behalf with asset managers to provide them lower fees than they otherwise would have to get on their own,” he added.
Mercer Wealth’s clients include sovereign wealth funds, family offices, and insurance companies among others.
From its office in Dubai, Mercer also looks after Africa, India and Turkey, where they also see opportunity for growth.
Wealth creation in Middle East and Africa (MEA) grew 8.5 per cent to $8.1 trillion last year from $7.5tn in 2015, higher than last year’s global average of 6 per cent and the second-highest growth in a region after Asia-Pacific which grew 9.9 per cent, according to consultancy Boston Consulting Group (BCG). In the region, where wealth grew just 1.9 per cent in 2015 compared with 2014, a pickup in oil prices has helped in wealth generation.
BCG is forecasting MEA wealth will rise to $12tn by 2021, growing at an annual average of 8 per cent.
Drivers of wealth generation in the region will be split evenly between new wealth creation and growth of performance of existing assets, according to BCG.
Another general trend in the region is clients’ looking for a comprehensive approach to investing, according to Mr AbuShaban.
“Institutional investors or some of the families are seeing a slowdown in the available capital they have to invest and in that sense they are looking at optimizing the way they manage their portfolios and making sure they are not investing haphazardly and different parts of their investment are working together,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Some clients also have a higher appetite for risk, given the low interest-rate environment that does not provide enough yield for some institutional investors. These clients are keen to invest in illiquid assets, such as private equity and infrastructure.
“What we have seen is a desire for higher returns in what has been a low-return environment specifically in various fixed income or bonds,” he said.
“In this environment, we have seen a de facto increase in the risk that clients are taking in things like illiquid investments, private equity investments, infrastructure and private debt, those kind of investments were higher illiquidity results in incrementally higher returns.”
The Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, one of the largest sovereign wealth funds, said in its 2016 report that has gradually increased its exposure in direct private equity and private credit transactions, mainly in Asian markets and especially in China and India. The authority’s private equity department focused on structured equities owing to “their defensive characteristics.”
SPECS
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How to avoid crypto fraud
- Use unique usernames and passwords while enabling multi-factor authentication.
- Use an offline private key, a physical device that requires manual activation, whenever you access your wallet.
- Avoid suspicious social media ads promoting fraudulent schemes.
- Only invest in crypto projects that you fully understand.
- Critically assess whether a project’s promises or returns seem too good to be true.
- Only use reputable platforms that have a track record of strong regulatory compliance.
- Store funds in hardware wallets as opposed to online exchanges.
