Watch [Video] 2018 Land Rover Discovery Sport Tow 110-Tonne Road Train

The Land Rover Discovery has taken on a 110-tonne road train and the Australian Outback… and won. The sight of a seven-trailer truck being pulled by an SUV sounds far-fetched – but that’s exactly what happened when Land Rover put the Discovery to the ultimate towing test.

The Discovery Td6 has a maximum certified towing capacity of 3,500kg on public roads* but successfully towed a 110-tonne road train 16km along a closed section of the Lasseter Highway, thanks to its 258PS 3.0-litre diesel engine and four-wheel-drive traction.

Land Rover completed the impressive display of towing capability by pulling a 100m road train in the remote Northern Territory to announce the arrival of the 2018 model year Discovery. Strict regulations limit their length to 53.5m so Land Rover obtained special permission to pull seven trailers and the 12-tonne tractor unit – retained to operate the hydraulic brakes fitted to the trailers.

Quentin Spottiswoode, Land Rover Product Engineer, said: “Towing capability has always been an important part of Discovery DNA and the raw weight of the road train tells only half the story here. Pulling a rig and seven trailers, with the rolling resistance of so many axles to overcome, is a huge achievement. We expected the vehicle to do well but it passed this test with flying colours, hitting 44km/h along its 16km route."

In addition to Advanced Tow Assist, the Discovery’s award-winning towing capability also includes:

Trailer Light Test – allows customers to test their trailer lights without outside assistance

Rear Height Assist – allows the driver to lower and raise the height of the rear of the vehicle to making hitching a trailer simple

Hitch Assist – guides the driver to the trailer hitch point by displaying trajectory lines on the touchscreen feed to simplify the process

Nose Load Measurement – allows customers to quickly check the weight being applied to the vehicle tow bar to avoid dangerous overloading

Trailer Stability Assist – enhances safety on the move by detecting trailer sway and reduces the speed of the vehicle to restore control to the driver

* maximum permissible towing weight for Discovery Td6 is 3,500kg (up to 3,720kg in NAS (Si6) specification).

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