New Land Rover Discovery makes SA debut

Land Rover has announced the South African debut of the new Discovery. The versatile family SUV features an enhanced interior and exterior, and is now smarter and better connected with cutting edge technologies.

New Discovery remains one of the most capable, connected and versatile full seven-seat premium SUVs in the world. Its distinct character and optimised proportions embrace more than three decades of design evolution.

The new Discovery delivers a bold exterior evolution with new signature LED headlights and a daytime running light signature set lower into the units.

Animated sweeping front and rear indicators now provide heightened visual sophistication while body-colour front fender vents accentuate the premium SUV’s familiar waistline. A revised front bumper now features a wider body-coloured graphic and at the rear, a new Gloss Black panel with the trademark Discovery script is positioned between the tail lights.

A new R-Dynamic model brings a more assertive character with a series of unique design elements, including Gloss Black and Shadow Atlas exterior accents on the outside and two-tone leather and contrast seat stitching on the inside.

R-Dynamic models also include Premium LED headlights which produce a colour of light that is closer to daylight, helping drivers distinguish objects more easily and help to reduce driver fatigue. Driving at night or in poor visibility is made easier by Auto High Beam Assist (AHBA) which automatically switches on and headlights and dip for oncoming traffic.

An optional hands-free gesture tailgate can detect the wave of a foot beneath the rear bumper to open the boot while the powered inner tailgate restrains loose items in the huge 2 485-litre load space and doubles as a handy bench. Even with seven seats in use, the boot provides 258 litres of luggage space and all occupants have somewhere to charge electronic devices.

Seats

In the back, the second-row seats have been carefully redesigned for enhanced comfort while improved lateral support, longer thicker cushions and careful seat profiling contribute to greater under-thigh support and improved posture for all occupants. Comfort is further improved by the relocation of the second-row air-vents from the B-pillars to the centre console, providing increased airflow to second-row passengers who have their own hidden-until-lit ventilation controls and power supplies.

Land Rover’s new second-generation activity key is also available and features touchscreen controls, a digital watch and can lock, unlock and start the vehicle as an addition to the conventional fob.

A completely redesigned centre console houses a 48% larger 11.4-inch, full HD touchscreen, which provides a fast and intuitive interface. With a simplified menu structure, the new Pivi Pro infotainment system provides immediate responses even when starting the vehicle for the first time. Its built-in back-up battery means navigation initialisation takes just seconds, while the logical menus allow the most commonly used functions to be accessed directly from the customisable home screen, to reduce driver distraction.

A new-look four-spoke steering wheel features hidden-until-lit switches and metal gearshift paddles while a tactile new gear selector provides instinctive control of the powertrain.

Connectivity is provided by dual-sim technology, with two LTE modems enabling the system to carry out multiple functions at the same time such as streaming media and downloading Software-Over-The-Air (SOTA) updates. Land Rover’s SOTA technology allows owners to update as many as 44 individual electronic modules, without having to visit a dealer. -MOTORPRESS