We are long past that point. The barn door opened with the introduction of Hill Descent Control on the Freelander and the horses ran out from there.
Well, we can't exactly pretend Land Rover hasn't lived on the razor's edge of potential and technology for a very long time. It wouldn't be a big deal if they'd manage to stop cutting themselves on it.
I've only used HDC a couple of times in the DII, and while I can again see potential uses, I don't see what the big deal is beyond proving they can use the brakes intelligently for a simplistic form of autonomous driving. To be fair, that was actually quite a leap in thought in the segment.
This is a company who brought the first autostereoscopic display to the masses in a practical application; and used it for shits and giggles on a feature Doug Demuro probably didn't even notice. If Land Rover could have afforded to build this vehicle thirty years ago, they would have.
Their focus on technology isn't new. It's just something that took them a long time to develop with a lot of false starts; but they've always stuck with it.
Every single step from 1948 to present hasn't involved asking what people need; it's all been about asking what people can
use. Land Rover is not a "traditional" company that's about solid axles and leaf springs. They have always tried to make vehicles that pushed those limits. They just really, really suck at communicating what they are.
I'm not saying I like everything they develop, but the fact is this has been their focus since the very beginning.
Cheers,
Kennith