On 2 April 2004, Land Rover introduced the Discovery 3, marketed as the LR3 in North America and The Middle East, and had its international debut at the British International Motorshow in May. It retained the key features of the Discovery, such as the stepped roofline and steeply raked windscreen.
The LR3 name was chosen for North American and Middle Eastern markets due to negative quality associations with the Discovery name and (according to Land Rover) a preference in the American market for alpha-numeric model designations – the second generation Freelander was also re-designated for the North American and Middle Eastern market as the LR2.

Land Rover developed a body construction method for the Discovery 3, marketed as Integrated Body Frame (IBF).
The engine bay and passenger compartment are built as a monocoque, then mated to a basic ladder-frame chassis for the gearbox and suspension.
Land Rover claims IBF combines the virtues of monocoque and ladder-frame – though it makes for a heavier vehicle than a monocoque construction, compromising performance and agility somewhat but adding strength, toughness and adaptability.

The LR3 features full independent suspension (FIS).
Like the Range Rover L322, this is an air suspension system, enabling ride-height adjustment by simply pumping up or deflating the air bags.
The vehicle can be raised to provide ground clearance when off-road, but lowered at high speeds to improve handling.
Land Rover developed 'cross-linked' air suspension.
When needed, the suspension mimics the action of a beam axle (as one wheel drops, the other rises).
If the chassis of the vehicle contacts the ground when the suspension was at its 'off-road' height, the system senses the reduction in load on the air springs and raises the vehicle an extra inch.
In the UK and European markets, a coil-spring independent suspension system was offered on the base model.
This model was unique in the range by having only five seats and only being available with the 2.7-litre diesel engine.
This model lacked the Terrain Response system.

The engines used in the Discovery 3 were all taken from Land Rover's sister company at the time, Jaguar.
A Ford/PSA-developed 2.7-litre, 195 hp (145 kW), 440 Nm V6 diesel engine (the TdV6) was intended to be the biggest seller in Europe.
For the US market and as the high-performance option elsewhere, a 4.4-litre petrol V8 of 300 hp (220 kW) was chosen.
A 216 hp (161 kW) 4.0-litre SOHC Ford V6 petrol engine was available in North America and Australia.

The gearboxes on the Discovery 3 were also all-new.
For the diesel engine, a six-speed manual transmission was standard.
As an option, and as standard on the V8 engine, a six-speed automatic transmission was available.
Both came with a two-speed transfer box and permanent four-wheel-drive.
A computer controlled progressively locking central differential ensured traction was retained in tough conditions.
A similar differential was available on the rear axle to aid traction.

The Discovery 3 was fitted with multiple electronic traction control systems.
Hill Descent Control (HDC) prevented vehicle 'runaways' when descending steep gradients and 4-wheel Electronic Traction Control (4ETC) prevented wheel spin in low-traction conditions.
An on-road system, Dynamic Stability Control (DSC), prevented skidding when steering and braking at speed.
The vehicle also featured the 'Terrain Response' system.
Previously, off-road driving had been a skill that many drivers found daunting.
A wide-ranging knowledge of the vehicle was needed to be able to select the correct gear, transfer ratio, various differential systems and master various techniques required for tackling steep hills, deep water and other tough terrain.
Terrain Response attempted to take away as many of the difficulties as possible.
The driver selected a terrain type ("Sand", "Grass, Gravel & Snow", "Mud & Ruts" and "Rock Crawl") on a dial in the cab of the vehicle.
The on-board computer systems then select the correct gearbox settings, adjust the suspension height, adjust the differential l
On 2 April 2004, Land Rover introduced the Discovery 3, marketed as the LR3 in North America and The Middle East, and had its international debut at the British International Motorshow in May. It retained the key features of the Discovery, such as the stepped roofline and steeply raked windscreen. The LR3 name was chosen for North American and Middle Eastern markets due to negative quality associations with the Discovery name and (according to Land Rover) a preference in the American market for alpha-numeric model designations – the second generation Freelander was also re-designated for the North American and Middle Eastern market as the LR2.
Land Rover developed a body construction method for the Discovery 3, marketed as Integrated Body Frame (IBF). The engine bay and passenger compartment are built as a monocoque, then mated to a basic ladder-frame chassis for the gearbox and suspension. Land Rover claims IBF combines the virtues of monocoque and ladder-frame – though it makes for a heavier vehicle than a monocoque construction, compromising performance and agility somewhat but adding strength, toughness and adaptability.
The LR3 features full independent suspension (FIS). Like the Range Rover L322, this is an air suspension system, enabling ride-height adjustment by simply pumping up or deflating the air bags. The vehicle can be raised to provide ground clearance when off-road, but lowered at high speeds to improve handling. Land Rover developed 'cross-linked' air suspension. When needed, the suspension mimics the action of a beam axle (as one wheel drops, the other rises). If the chassis of the vehicle contacts the ground when the suspension was at its 'off-road' height, the system senses the reduction in load on the air springs and raises the vehicle an extra inch. In the UK and European markets, a coil-spring independent suspension system was offered on the base model. This model was unique in the range by having only five seats and only being available with the 2.7-litre diesel engine. This model lacked the Terrain Response system.
The engines used in the Discovery 3 were all taken from Land Rover's sister company at the time, Jaguar. A Ford/PSA-developed 2.7-litre, 195 hp (145 kW), 440 Nm V6 diesel engine (the TdV6) was intended to be the biggest seller in Europe. For the US market and as the high-performance option elsewhere, a 4.4-litre petrol V8 of 300 hp (220 kW) was chosen. A 216 hp (161 kW) 4.0-litre SOHC Ford V6 petrol engine was available in North America and Australia.
The gearboxes on the Discovery 3 were also all-new. For the diesel engine, a six-speed manual transmission was standard. As an option, and as standard on the V8 engine, a six-speed automatic transmission was available. Both came with a two-speed transfer box and permanent four-wheel-drive. A computer controlled progressively locking central differential ensured traction was retained in tough conditions. A similar differential was available on the rear axle to aid traction.
The Discovery 3 was fitted with multiple electronic traction control systems. Hill Descent Control (HDC) prevented vehicle 'runaways' when descending steep gradients and 4-wheel Electronic Traction Control (4ETC) prevented wheel spin in low-traction conditions. An on-road system, Dynamic Stability Control (DSC), prevented skidding when steering and braking at speed. The vehicle also featured the 'Terrain Response' system. Previously, off-road driving had been a skill that many drivers found daunting. A wide-ranging knowledge of the vehicle was needed to be able to select the correct gear, transfer ratio, various differential systems and master various techniques required for tackling steep hills, deep water and other tough terrain. Terrain Response attempted to take away as many of the difficulties as possible. The driver selected a terrain type ("Sand", "Grass, Gravel & Snow", "Mud & Ruts" and "Rock Crawl") on a dial in the cab of the vehicle. The on-board computer systems then select the correct gearbox settings, adjust the suspension height, adjust the differential l
Land Rover Discovery