New Disco 4 Arrived!!!

[Bluevein]

Hi all,

My new Disco 4 HSE arrived today. Drives beautifully and am very happy with it.

One problem though, how do i open the bonnet? There doesnt seem to be a release anywhere!!!

Bluevein

[Duck's Guts]

Left side of the passenger footwell.

Congratulations on the new D4. Permagrin time!

[Bluevein]

Thanks mate! Found it.

[Ivan]

Typical LR driver, brand new vehicle and the first thing he wants to do is open the bonnet :p
Nice car and congrats.

Ivan

[Celtoid]

So here's the question....

Why is the bonnet release on the LHS?

I was thinking that it may be due to the fact that the majority of LRs will be to a LH drive market?

Anybody know?

[discodownunder]

I'd say you're spot on with the LHS drive thing.
For whatever reason all of the discos so far since series 1 (what I have) have been on the LHS.
Whenever I walk around to the passenger side to open it I'm reminded of the soulful brand I've bought into, where everything is a little bit different, with more character and thought than the others.

That or we're all just driving poorly engineered vehicles ;) lol

[Duck's Guts]

So here's the question....
Why is the bonnet release on the LHS?
I was thinking that it may be due to the fact that the majority of LRs will be to a LH drive market?
Anybody know?

I have always believed the LHD market thing was the reason.
Same for the indicator/blinker stalk being on the left of the steering column, etc.

Also, a bit like Jeeps having the hand brake lever on the left side of the transmission tunnel.
I assume the D4 EPB switch can be moved to either side of the auto depending on the market.
Shame they couldn't do the same with the indicator & wiper stalks.
EVERY time I jump into a Toyota or Nissan at work, I operate the wipers when making left & right turns!

[iannicki]

I was told by a dealer in 2009 that it was a safety design issue in the UK (right-hand drive). When you pull over to the left, it prevents the person who is operating the bonnet lever from being on the traffic side of the vehicle.

[VladTepes]

Makes sense for the bonnet release to be on the kerbside to me !

[seano87]

There's also more space on the left in a RHD vehicle. Have you seen how much wiring and crap they shove under the steering column?

[Neil P]

.... the LHD market thing was the reason.
Same for the indicator/blinker stalk being on the left of the steering column
Just about all UK cars are , long before exporting began .......
Was a real annoyance since changing gear and indicating lane
changes at the same time was difficult .

[jonesfam]

Could be that the UK is part of the EU. It seems that the EU is trying to standardise everything (remember the Euro sausage episode of Yes Minister). So some Dingbat in Brussels has probably decreed that all European cars will have the bonnet release on the left, why, because he could.
Jonesfam

[Celtoid]

I was told by a dealer in 2009 that it was a safety design issue in the UK (right-hand drive). When you pull over to the left, it prevents the person who is operating the bonnet lever from being on the traffic side of the vehicle.

That was actually my first though, but I guess we'd have to ask a LH Drive owner if their lever is on the RHS. If the answer is no, well I guess it's back to the volume sales market then, as apposed to a nice safety feature.

[Graeme]

When you pull over to the left, it prevents the person who is operating the bonnet lever from being on the traffic side of the vehicle.
Does this mean that LR knows that the average LR will break down and need the bonnet opening?

[Celtoid]

Does this mean that LR knows that the average LR will break down and need the bonnet opening?


No, it's just to fill the washer bottle.....;)