Member Since: 06 Dec 2011
Location: Dublin
Posts: 19
New Discoverys in Ireland
Can anyone tell why no new D5s are on road in Ireland yet. Only seem to be demo models. Is it because HSE model here only has coil suspension and no heated seats and no panoramic roof. They are all options on HSE here. Stingy on Land Rover Ireland. Dont really care about heated seats or roof but will coil suspension be a backward step as opposed to air on road?
30th Mar 2017 8:02 pm
APL
Member Since: 14 Sep 2011
Location: Europe
Posts: 1130
I suspect the reason is quite simple.
Cost!!!
They are way beyond the average spending capabilities of the majority of Irish new car buyers.
And even though dealers are beginning to promote the 2 seat commercial a bit more now, which is a lot cheaper, there are none in stock anywhere, they are only available to order, which could take anything up to three months or more by the time the conversion and paperwork is all sorted out and Revenue have been persuaded to accept it as an N1 vehicle.
Which is stupid and rather typical of the current Irish distribution system. In the old days (in particular during the Tdi & Td5 era), dealers stocked mainly Commercial variants, for customers to look at, test and purchase off the forecourt, why? Because thats what the dealers and the then distributor knew would sell the most.
Unless the current distributor starts stocking a large amount of reasonably high spec Commercial variants for people to see, they are not going to be selling many Discovery 5's in this country! I said this from the start, and I am being proved 100% correct. I don't actually think that a single Discovery 5 has actually been sold yet in Ireland, despite the dealer claptrap they always tell you........
Oh, and the HSE I looked at in Wexford, seven seater, did have the air suspension as an extra, even on the Td4 engine....2016 Discovery 4 Commercial
2019 Discovery 5 HSE
30th Mar 2017 9:01 pm
sportcoupe
Member Since: 29 Jan 2017
Location: Savannah, GA
Posts: 53
There are no D5's yet in United States. The demos are very scarce right now. I'd have to drive 8 hours to view a D5 in person today.
My guess is a staggered release. We are not scheduled for D5 until mid-2017. I don't know about Ireland.
30th Mar 2017 9:56 pm
APL
Member Since: 14 Sep 2011
Location: Europe
Posts: 1130
It has very much been released here in Ireland, quite a few in stock at dealers around the country, but all high end expensive examples at the moment....
Member Since: 15 Feb 2006
Location: The Magic Roundabout
Posts: 1392
I've seen a Silver 171-KK one on the ring road in Kilkenny, two mornings in a row.
So there's definitely one on the road anyways
APL I'm not so sure how popular the "2 seat commercial van" is going to be.
I think the days of the "van Jeep" may be behind us, fine for builders & farmers, but the former are largely now in real vans & the latter in pickups such as the Isuzu D-Max, both of which give you more than two seats. I think people have gotten used to having more than 2 seats & a panelled off rear, with the likes of the utility models of the D4, Land Cruiser & Pajero. Can't see many going back to a "Van Discovery" when you can have all the bells & whistles in a Land Cruiser or Pajero if it's a high towing capacity 4x4 vehicle that you need or want.
Plus with Revenue cracking down on the private ownership of commercial vehicles I wouldn't be hanging the sales of D5's on the "Irish Van conversion" variant. If there was a Utility 5 seat version of the D5 that might sell, but it seems that there will not be.
Only time will tell though..........
2nd Apr 2017 5:28 pm
APL
Member Since: 14 Sep 2011
Location: Europe
Posts: 1130
There is a category of Discovery owner called the "enthusiast", who would purchase the 2 seat Discovery 5 just to be able to affordably have a Discovery 5........
And funnily enough, I heard just as many people over here bemoaning the demise of the 2 seat Discovery 4 Commercial when the 5 seat became popular.
So if marketed correctly, there are small businesses out there who still need the loadspace that the 2 seat offers, and there are still those who would want to be able to claim back the VAT wherever possible.
In terms of the HSE variant, it's a €25,000 saving before you even factor in the VAT saving as well........2016 Discovery 4 Commercial
2019 Discovery 5 HSE
2nd Apr 2017 9:51 pm
zebadee
Member Since: 15 Feb 2006
Location: The Magic Roundabout
Posts: 1392
All that may be so APL, but as I say I wouldn't be pinning the hopes of huge volumes of sales of the D5 on the "Irish Van Conversion" variant. If that's the main market for the D5 here, it's not exactly a good outlook
Of course it remains to be seen if Revenue will actually give it an N1 category.
Edit to add.... I would come under the "enthusiast" banner, I've been a LR owner since the early 90's, but I wouldn't purchase the Van Conversion D5, just to get one. I wouldn't like my new car to have been hacked apart in a shed down in Rosslare, or wherever they do the conversions these days. Especially when having been spoiled by the 5 seat utility D4.
Then add to that the restrictions of use on a commercial vehicle, which by all accounts, revenue are cracking down on these days.
But that's all my own personal take on it & only time will tell what lies in store here for sales of the D5.
3rd Apr 2017 11:39 am
APL
Member Since: 14 Sep 2011
Location: Europe
Posts: 1130
Actually, the conversions are quite neatly done these days (if the Jaguar F-Pace Commercial is anything to go by!). As far as I am aware they are currently being done at the OHM HQ at Baldonnel. It's only a seat removal and new extended floor these days, no windows need to be touched like the older days....
I agree, it is a sad time we are in, but who in reality is going to spend €92K on a Discovery 5? Especially when as Case1 says, the standard spec is so low here....
And I bet the Velar will be over €100K when it arrives over here, too....
It would even make far more sense if the distributor had brought in a few trailer loads of 5 seat examples, at least they are cheaper and more likely to sell, I would have thought....
And we still have to bear in mind the road tax - €570 for the Td4 models and €750 for the TDV6 examples. Cheaper than before but still not that cheap for the TDV6!2016 Discovery 4 Commercial
2019 Discovery 5 HSE
3rd Apr 2017 12:00 pm
zebadee
Member Since: 15 Feb 2006
Location: The Magic Roundabout
Posts: 1392
APL wrote:
.....but who in reality is going to spend €92K on a Discovery 5?
This is the problem, 90K for a Discovery
I've actually tried building & pricing my desired spec on the Irish LR site, but of course while you may be able to build it, it won't as far as I can see price up the final spec. Typical Irish attitude of "the price is secret" You can, it seems build & price the Disco Sport, but not the D5.
But based on that my desired spec would have F & R parking sensors, Leather, Xenons & upgraded ICE system, as a minimum it seems I'm best to start with a HSE. So over 90K it would be for a Discovery. Added to that is the high road tax as you pointed out & all in all it's a bleak lookout for the D5 here in Ireland I think
I've left LR ownership middle of last year when I traded my 131 D4 Utility & am currently driving an X5. It has all the bells & whistles that I want in a spec & being the M-Sport version it has some lovely extra styling & trim finishes. It cost just over 80K new & carries an annual road tax of 390Eur.
So leaving aside for a moment the "apples & oranges" comparison of an X5 versus a Discovery in terms of capabilities off road, towing etc, The X5 doing everything & more that I ask of it. It doesn't make any sense for me to even consider the D5. This is a touch sad as, as I've said up-thread I've been a loyal LR owner since the early 90's. But I don't see myself going back to Land Rover anytime soon, based on the financial comparison.
I don't think the "van conversion" is the answer or saviour of D5 sales either, can't see the Yummy Mummys in a van
..............so some interesting times ahead that's for sure
3rd Apr 2017 12:23 pm
Erea
Member Since: 19 Mar 2012
Location: Munster
Posts: 1509
I was in a Landrover main dealership about 10 days ago and the sales man told me that there would be no commercial D5. I told him I heard there was one in the pipeline and he refused to believe me.
3rd Apr 2017 1:39 pm
Case1
Member Since: 06 Dec 2011
Location: Dublin
Posts: 19
I'm no good at links but check out Carzone where AutoBoland have a commercial 2 seat nearly ready for sale!
Salesmen know nothing!
3rd Apr 2017 3:04 pm
Erea
Member Since: 19 Mar 2012
Location: Munster
Posts: 1509
Just found it. I'd love to go back into the dealership and show them this ad.
Member Since: 14 Sep 2011
Location: Europe
Posts: 1130
There's definitely no doubt about the theoretical availability of the Commercial D5's, indeed the main dealer in Wexford is now cursing the distributor for not supplying them and the 5 seat models, as he agrees these would be far easier to market and sell than the current top of the range HSE's they have been supplied with. But there are no physical examples of either the Commercials or the 5 seat models in the country as of yet, seemingly. Maybe Solihull just haven't got round to building the 5 seat versions yet, who knows??!!
Interestingly enough, I was only discussing the whole dealership issue with a colleague who lives in the UK, the other evening. The differences between the dealerships over here and the ones over there are phenomenal. I have experienced this myself, for every time I have walked into a UK dealership, I am usually greeted by at least a receptionist if not a salesman, always offered a cup of tea or coffee, there are always examples of the car to look at somewhere, the salesman knows exactly what he/she is talking about, and the pricing is always clear and transparent. Have never seen that anywhere over here except in the late and much missed Behan's of Arklow....
Indeed, in the older days, Behan's used to throw in whatever dealer fit accessories you wanted if you were buying a vehicle from them, things like mudflaps, side rubbing strips, mats, wheel covers, etc.....
How times have changed........2016 Discovery 4 Commercial
2019 Discovery 5 HSE
3rd Apr 2017 6:19 pm
APL
Member Since: 14 Sep 2011
Location: Europe
Posts: 1130
Well, still no sales over here. One Dublin dealer has a HSE priced at over a hundred thousand Euro!
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