Land Rover: This will take a hit but won't go like a bomb

The armoured bomb proof Land Rover. Photo / Supplied

Spouse on the warpath? Land Rover's armoured Discovery 4 could be the answer. It's fitted with ballistic steel armour and glazing to provide a certified level of protection sufficient to protect occupants from a 15kg blast of TNT detonated close by, or two hand grenades tossed beneath the car's floor.

Land Rover's commercial manager for armoured programmes, John Graham, says rather than test components, the entire vehicle was certified, "so we can be completely confident of its ballistic integrity".

Land Rover will only confirm two frontal airbags for the five seats, but the standard Terrain Response four-wheel-drive system's been fitted so a fleeing driver can instantly set the car for seal, ruts or rocks at the twist of a dial. Naturally, the engine's working harder to shove this along, so there's a 5.0-litre direct-injection V8 petrol engine under the bonnet that throws 276kW and 510Nm to the road via a six-speed auto - a far gruntier equation than the 2.7-litre V6 diesel fitted to the outgoing armoured car.

The independent air suspension works alongside uprated springs and retuned dampers, with beefier anti-roll bars and heavy-duty brakes with 378mm discs to handle the additional tonne in weight. Yep, this Disco tips the scales at 3550kg - excluding options. Given that heft your escape won't be made at warp speed, and zero to 100km/h is achieved in 10.6 seconds. While your driver sedately flees the scene, you can admire the leather and wood veneer; or bless the smash-proof film on the windows, the under-bonnet fire-suppressant system, armoured fuel tank and auxiliary battery; then contemplate the list of optional security features. You have to wonder about the guarantee, though. It's nice there's a three-year warranty, but surely if it fails you won't be around to claim? Jacqui Madelin