Redesigned Land Rover Discovery gets more tech

Land Rover has provided an early glimpse of the fifth-generation Discovery ahead of its first public appearance at the Paris motor show.

The new SUV may not be immediately recognisable as the progeny of Land Rover’s iconic adventurer. Designers decided against another evolutionary design shift, instead opting for a radical jump. The Discovery’s squarish body has been dropped in favour of a streamlined form, much closer to the Discovery Sport and latest Range Rover offerings.

A stepped roof carries over, serving as the most obvious link to past generations. The profile provides more headroom for passengers seated in the third row, where the seats are positioned slightly higher than the second row. The company claims the third row is designed for 95th percentile adults to sit comfortably.

Buyers in different markets will be presented with a choice between Jaguar Land Rover’s 253 kW 3.0-litre supercharged V6 or a 189 kW diesel mill, borrowed from the Range Rover and Range Rover Sport.

Both the engines will be mated to an eight-speed automatic ZF transmission. Discovery models are also said to be equipped with full-time four-wheel drive and a two-speed transfer box.

The all-new SUV is the latest JLR model to take advantage of extensive aluminium construction, weighing more than a half ton lighter than the outgoing LR4. The British marque claims the reduced heft and suspension revisions provide improved on-road performance without sacrificing off-road prowess.

Official pricing and local availability of the SUV haven’t been announced yet, but international prices are said to start at $49 990 (R683 500) but expect it to cost a lot more than that when it gets here.