LAND ROVER has fortified the 2012 Discovery 4 with hill start assist and gradient acceleration control as part of strategies to consolidate on its position in the Sports Utility Vehicle (SUV) segment.Hill Start Assist retains the initial driver-generated brake pressure long enough for the foot to move from brake pedal to throttle without the car rolling backwards. The brake is released after a sufficient time has elapsed or when the engine is supplying enough torque to move the car up the hill.On the other hand, the Gradient Acceleration Controls is designed to provide safety cover on severe gradients when the driver does not have Hill Descent Control engaged.According to theauto company, by pressurising the brake system, Gradient Acceleration Control slows the car to a limit determined by the throttle position when the car is descending the slope in the driver's intended direction of travel.In his presentation in Johannesburg, South Africa recently, during the unveiling of the new Discovery 4, Jaguar Land Rover operation director in charge of Sub-Sahara Africa, Nigel Clark, explained that special attention was paid to the engineering process of the new product.Giving a detailed presentation on the new Discovery, the company's product and pricing manager, Lisa Mallet said for 2012, new 19' alloy wheel comes as standard on the HSE while a Gloss Black 20' 5 split-spoke wheel design and extended Satin Black roof rails are available as customer options across the range.Besides she noted that the 5.0 V8 petrol Automatic SE and HSE models, which are basically top of the range models, would be available for the Nigerian market.According to her, the 5.0 LR-V8 engine designed specifically with Land Rover vehicles in mind, remains in the Discovery 4 line-up unchanged for the 2012 model year.Expected in Nigeria before the end of this year courtesy Coscharis Motors, she explained that one of the secrets of the V8's performance is the centrally mounted, multi-hole, spray-guided fuel injection system.'The injectors are positioned to deliver fuel precisely to the centre of the combustion chamber for maximum air-fuel mixing and accurate combustion control. The charge cooling effects of the direct injection system allows a high compression ratio of 11.5:1, which further improves engine efficiency.'During the engine warm-up phase, the combustion system employs multiple injection mode strategies to deliver 50 percent more heat for fast catalyst warm-up and substantially reduced emissions.'A number of clever design features include the industry-first, torque-actuated variable camshaft timing on all four cams. Unlike conventional systems, which rely on oil pressure, these are actuated by the positive and negative torques generated by the opening and closing of the valves, reducing energy consumption.'Camprofile switching (CPS) selects either a profile suitable for low speed running or another which gives increased lift for high performance. This provides the Discovery 4 with exceptional low-end torque to negotiate demanding terrain and allows it to become fleet of foot when conditions allow', Mallet said.Other basic attributes in the wonder on wheels, includes torque and power which is also optimised by a variable inlet manifold which changes the length of its eight inlet tracts coupled with a unique reverse flow cooling system where coolant passes through the cylinder heads before the block.'The LR-V8 engine continues to justify its position as one of the finest engines in its class having set new standards for efficiency, power and torque that remain hard to beat. The combination of advanced technology and light weight make it the ideal power unit, complementing the Discovery 4's off-road and on-road capability,' said Murray Dietsch, Director of Land Rover Programmes.As at the time of going to press,the auto firm boast of not less than 36 awards in less than three years for the out-going model, an indication that the fresh efforts would make tremendous impact in the market.Another major highlight is the introduction of ZF's 8-Speed 8HP70 automatic on the 3.0L twin-turbocharged SDV6. The 8HP70 cog swapper originally made its debut in the Range Rover. The astonishing 5.0 LR-V8 naturally aspirated engine, designed specifically with Land Rover vehicles in mind, remains in the Discovery 4 line-up unchanged for the 2012 model year.
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