Comparison: Turning circle Land Rover Discovery vs. competitors 2025

The choreography of the Discovery's turning circle has seen subtle yet noteworthy revisions through its generational evolution. The original Discovery I (1994-1998) set out with an 11.90m turning circle, an adept figure for its time. However, the saga took an ambiguous turn with the Discovery II, where data whimsically vanishes into the fog. The plot thickens with the III and IV generations (2004-2016), both maintaining an 11.50m pirouette, sharpening its twirl slightly compared to its debut dance. But as any good story has a twist, the Discovery V (from 2017 onwards) expanded its turning repertoire to 12.70m, only to extend a fraction further to 12.80m in its latest facelift. One may wonder, was it a bold move to improve stability, or a subtle compromise for increased interior volume? The audience (drivers) remain divided.

In the family portrait of Land Rovers, the Discovery stands with a turning circle that outpaces some siblings while trailing behind others. It doesn't inherit the nimble feet of the Range Rover at 11.00m or the Discovery Sport at 11.80m, with the latter practically pirouetting around the Discovery with ease. The Range Rover Evoque and Velar, too, show tighter twirls at 11.90m and 12.00m, respectively. Yet, Discovery holds its ground, or rather, its turn, against the Range Rover Sport and the stately Defender, hitting a wider arc at 12.70m and looking practically balletic next to the Defender's 13.10m. It's a family of performers, each with its stage preferences.

When the Discovery steps out of the Land Rover family gathering and into the market arena, it finds itself in a tango with a diversity of rivals. The Audi Q8 at a turning circle of 13.30m makes the Discovery look impressively agile by comparison, yet vehicles like the Fiat Multipla (11.00m) and the Rover 25 (10.00m) can outmaneuver it in the tightest of spots. The Discovery watches closely as the Peugeot Expert (12.20m) performs a more compact turn, while the Kia EV6 and Hyundai Nexo, with their 11.60m and 11.20m turning circles, showcase the electric market's competitive edge in agility. It's a mixed bag, with the Discovery positioned as a sturdy, if not the most nimble, performer amongst a diverse cast of urban dancers.