Verdict
The Land Rover Discovery costs RM729,800 against the Lotus Emira’s RM1,131,800, so the RM402,000 gap is not buying the same job done better. The Discovery is the family tool: seven seats, all-wheel drive, air suspension, 600 Nm and a stated 7.2 L/100 km, with RM1,629 annual road tax. The Emira is the driver’s car: 400 hp, 1,405 kg, rear-wheel drive and a six-speed manual for 0-100 km/h in 4.3 seconds. But it has two seats, 151 litres of boot space and RM4,182 road tax.
Pick the Land Rover Discovery if you need seven seats, diesel torque, all-wheel drive and a usable Malaysian family SUV rather than a weekend coupe.
Pick the Lotus Emira if you want a last-ICE Lotus sports car with 400 hp, a manual gearbox and 4.3-second pace, and can live with two seats.
Key differences
- Price: Land Rover Discovery RM729,800; Lotus Emira RM1,131,800
- Power and torque: Land Rover Discovery 258 hp/600 Nm; Lotus Emira 400 hp/420 Nm
- 0-100 km/h: Land Rover Discovery 8.1 seconds; Lotus Emira 4.3 seconds
- Seats and doors: Land Rover Discovery 7 seats/5 doors; Lotus Emira 2 seats/2 doors
- Boot space: Land Rover Discovery 258 litres; Lotus Emira 151 litres
- Road tax: Land Rover Discovery RM1,629 per year; Lotus Emira RM4,182 per year
Discovery
- Seven seats with ISOFIX points across the middle and last rows
- 600 Nm diesel torque, all-wheel drive and air suspension with Terrain Response
- Lower price and lower annual road tax
- Much slower to 100 km/h: 8.1 seconds versus 4.3 seconds
- Less power: 258 hp versus 400 hp
- Far heavier: 2,298 kg versus 1,405 kg
Emira
- 400 hp and 0-100 km/h in 4.3 seconds
- Six-speed manual with rear-wheel drive
- Much lighter than the Discovery at 1,405 kg
- Costs RM402,000 more
- Only two seats and 151 litres of boot space
- Higher annual road tax: RM4,182 versus RM1,629
| Price & overview | ||
|---|---|---|
| Price | RM729,800✓ | RM1,131,800 |
| Body type | SUV | Coupe |
| Segment | Executive | Sports Car |
| Assembly | CBU | CBU |
| Powertrain | ||
| Engine Tech | 24-valve DOHC with common-rail direct fuel injection and variable geometry turbochargers | 24-valve DOHC, supercharged (Roots) with variable valve timing |
| Capacity | 2,993 cc | 3,456 cc |
| Horsepower | 258 hp | 400 hp✓ |
| Torque | 600 Nm✓ | 420 Nm |
| Fuel | Diesel | Petrol |
| Bore | 84 mm | 94 mm |
| Compression Ratio | 16 | 10 |
| Drivetrain | ||
| Transmission | Conventional Automatic | Manual |
| Transmission Name | 8-Speed Automatic Transmission with Sport Mode | Six-speed Manual |
| Gears | 8 | 6 |
| Transmission Manufacturer | ZF | Aisin |
| Driveline | All Wheel Drive | Rear Wheel Drive |
| Performance & Efficiency | ||
| 0-100 km/h | 8.1 seconds | 4.3 seconds✓ |
| Rated Economy | 7.2 L/100 km | — |
| Top Speed | 209 km/h | — |
| Co2 | 189 g/km | — |
| Dimensions | ||
| Length | 4,970 mm | 4,412 mm |
| Width | 2,220 mm | 1,895 mm |
| Height | 1,888 mm | 1,225 mm |
| Wheelbase | 2,923 mm | 2,575 mm |
| Weight | 2,298 kg | 1,405 kg |
| Fuel Tank | 85 litres | — |
| Doors | 5 | 2 |
| Seats | 7 | 2 |
| Boot Space | 258 litres✓ | 151 litres |
| Front Tyre | 275/45R21 | 245/35R20 |
| Rear Tyre | 275/45R21 | 295/30R20 |
| Spare Tyre | Full Size | — |
| Factory Tyres | Continental CrossContact LX Sport | Goodyear Eagle F1 Asymmetric 5 |
| Chassis | ||
| Assembly | United Kingdom (CBU) | United Kingdom (CBU) |
| Front Suspension | Double Wishbones with Air Suspension | Double Wishbones |
| Rear Suspension | Multi-Link with Air Suspension | Double Wishbones |
| Front Wheels | 21" 10 Split-Spoke Style 1012 Alloy | 20" Alloys |
| Rear Wheels | 21" 10 Split-Spoke Style 1012 Alloy | 20" Alloys |
| Steering | Rack and Pinion (Electric Power Steering) | Rack and Pinion (Hydraulic Power Steering) |
| Chassis Notes | Air Suspension (adjustable ride height and damping), Terrain Response | Touring or Sports Suspensions Available |
| Crash Safety Ratings | ||
| EuroNCAP | 5 stars | — |
| ANCAP | 5 stars | — |
| Safety | ||
| Airbags | Driver and Passenger, Front Side, Front and Rear Curtain | — |
| ABS/EBD | ✓ | ✓ |
| Stability Control | ✓ | ✓ |
| Alarm | ✓ | — |
| Immobilizer | ✓ | — |
| Airbag Disable Function | ✓ | — |
| Child Safety Lock | Electric for rear doors | — |
| Seat Belts | 7 Three-point | 2 Three-point |
| ISOFIX | Three on Middle Row Seats, Two on Last Row Seats | — |
| Autonomous Braking System | — | Yes |
| Lane-keeping Assist | No | Warning Only |
| Collision Warning | — | ✓ |
| Seatbelt Reminder | For All Seats | All Seats |
| Lighting | ||
| Headlamps | Adaptive LED Headlights | Projector LED |
| Taillamps | LED Combination | Full LED with Dynamic Indicators |
| LED Daytime Running Lights | ✓ | ✓ |
| Front Foglamps | ✓ | — |
| Rear Foglamps | ✓ | — |
| Wing Mirror Turn Indicators | ✓ | ✓ |
| Cabin | ||
| Front Seats | 12-Way Power-Adjustable Front Seats with Driver's Memory Function | Power Adjustable Front Seats |
| Rear Seats | 60:40 Split-Folding, Manual Slide and Recline Middle Row, 50:50 Split-Folding Last Row | — |
| Front Air-con | Dual-zone Automatic Climate Control System | Single-zone Automatic Climate Control |
| Rear Air-con | Dual-zone Automatic Climate Control System | — |
| Sunroof | Panoramic | — |
| Power Sockets | 3 Front, 2 Middle Row, 1 Boot | 2 USB-A, 1 USB-C |
| Interior Lighting | Map Lights and Ambient Lights | Map Lights |
| Cup Holders | 2 Front, 2 Middle Row | 2 Front |
| Audio | 10" InTouchControl Pro, Meridian Sound System with 10 Speakers and Subwoofer | 10.25" Touchscreen with Apple CarPlay and Android, KEF Reference Audio |
| Convenience | ||
| Power Windows | Four Windows, Auto Up and Down with Anti-Pinch | Automatic Front Windows |
| Engine Start | Keyless Push Button | Keyless Push Button Start |
| Locks | Keyless Operation | Keyless Entry |
| Auto Headlamps | ✓ | ✓ |
| Auto Wipers | ✓ | ✓ |
| Cruise Control | Adaptive Cruise Control | Adaptive Cruise Control |
| Paddle Shift | ✓ | — |
| Steering Audio Control | ✓ | ✓ |
| Steering Tilt | ✓ | ✓ |
| Steering Telescopic | ✓ | ✓ |
| Electric Steering Adjustment | ✓ | — |
| Boot Operation | Powered boot | Remote Control Activated |
| Parking Sensor Front | 4 Sensors | 4 Sensors |
| Parking Sensor Rear | 4 Sensors | 4 Sensors |
| Reverse Camera | Yes, with Surround Camera System | Yes |
| Auto Parking | — | No |
| Folding Wing Mirrors | ✓ | — |
| Bluetooth | ✓ | ✓ |
| Navigation | ✓ | — |
| Power Door | — | No |
| Hill Start Assist | ✓ | ✓ |
| Instrument Cluster | Electroluminescent Analogue | Full LCD Monitor |
| Parking Brake | Electronic | Electronic |
| Warranty | ||
| Warranty Mileage Manufacturer | 150,000 km | 150,000 km |
| Warranty Manufacturer | 5 years | 5 years |
| Warranty Notes | 5-year/65,000 km free scheduled maintenance | — |
| Ownership | ||
| Road tax / year | RM1,629✓ | RM4,182 |
Specs shown for the selected variant of each car. ✓ marks the better figure where lower/higher is objectively better. Road tax: West Malaysia, private registration.
Used Discovery & Emira for sale
Discovery vs Emira FAQ
Is the Land Rover Discovery or Lotus Emira better?
For daily Malaysian use, the Land Rover Discovery is better because it has seven seats, more boot space, diesel economy and lower road tax. The Lotus Emira is better only if the priority is sports-car pace and a manual gearbox.
What is the price difference?
The Lotus Emira costs RM1,131,800, while the Land Rover Discovery costs RM729,800. That makes the Emira RM402,000 more expensive.
Which one is faster?
The Lotus Emira is much faster, doing 0-100 km/h in 4.3 seconds with 400 hp. The Land Rover Discovery takes 8.1 seconds and makes 258 hp, though it has more torque at 600 Nm.