This video is doing the rounds on Insta, billed as showing durability testing for the Discovery 3. [Insert predictable reliability joke here.] But I think some of it is actually testing to make sure the airbags don't go off when they shouldn't. Can any car engineers confirm?

It’s being tested with January 2026’s road conditions in mind.

It’s a mix video - some things are extreme events testing (airbag abuse as you say) some parts of the video are just normal durability testing. Still do all of that today 💪

I think if we were doing this kind of testing, we'd run with the airbags off for egress and trust the cage & helmet to keep us safe. For the PS5, we had a test schedule of 200 kerb strikes - for each side of the car. We'd have got nowhere if the airbags were going off constantly

Makes me recall an anecdote from an old @harrym_vids video where talks about how all JLR wheels had to meet proper Land Rover durability tests, meaning that the F-Type he was driving in the vid was engineered to endure the same kerb-bashing and potholes as a Defender or whatnot.

The Discovery 3 was definitely the pinnacle of Discovery. The 4 & 5 are just engine problems waiting to happen and earlier models were a bit crude.

I bought a disco 3 for my wife when she needed a car and didn't know what she wanted and she, kicked off about it. After a couple of weeks complete change of heart because "I love this car, you don't have to slow down for speed bumps". So I think this her going to work.

Yes it’s airbag abuse testing to make sure they don’t deploy if you’re not having an actual accident

Looks like you’re right, your sleeve value of a colleague did a piece about it on Fifth Gear back in the day and all that…

It’s the car photographer ‘ooh, that looks a pretty shot, I’ll just pull off the road abruptly and stop’ test.

That's pretty much how I drove my 06 D3 (when it wasn't with Land-rover Assist) And can confirm the airbags did not deploy, all the trim and a side step did but no airbags

I am an car engineer and whilst I didn’t work on this I can confirm this is just general use when we borrow prototypes for the weekend.

It’s all well and good doing all that when it was brand new, try doing it when the car was 2 years old. That pull test with the ropes would have ripped the front and rear ends off..

They're checking that Banjo, Hermione and Wingspan don't fall out of their car seats.

Looks quite fun as long as you weren't fussed about ever being able to move your head again.

They showed a kerb strike close-up at the Discovery Sport media reveal in Paris. All the journos winced.

*[insert predictable unreliability reality here]

The 3 was my favourite Disco.... The sweet spot between too rough and ready and too fragile and unreliable👌

Maybe they should’ve run the same tests on jags

I like how the prioritise testing the towing hooks..... the future owners are going to get really familiar with those.

I notice the side steps have already rotted away and fell off the car before the test even started.. 🤔

That looks so much fun someone should offer this on buyagift or something

Bugger. I thought I was watching an average SUV arrival in a supermarket carpark! 🤣

Interesting footage. Is it Millbrook?

They are testing the new EUNetting standards to ensure that all the bits that fall off are successfully captured and retained!

Everyday motoring on Cambridgeshires roads…

Best 4x4xFar

My back hurts just watching this

That’s a standard journey these days on UK roads

That's always been my understanding too - remember reading in an old LR magazine about a film the writer was shown of similar testing being done on a then new Discovery 2 and sounded traumatic, if fascinating, to see.

That’s about my daily drive with my Discovery 3. Never had an airbag go off.

Pretty obvious they're testing the mobile phone wireless charging pad.

Looks they are doing an urban school run test.

Best job ever

That looks like the Mira testing ground near Nuneaton Bedfordshire

Durability testing? Looks like driving over kerbs, driving over massive potholes, pulling cashpoints out of walls, driving down country lanes as fast as possible and driving across fields to avoid the police. 🤣