A New, More Refined Land Rover Discovery in Paris
Land Rover has a lot of success with their Range Rover lineup, but what about the rest of their offerings?
According to Gerry McGovern, Design Chief for the brand, they need to change. In fact, he says that the change is already in motion; people are not accepting huge panel gaps and want more "premium" vehicles.
The premium look is clearly associated with Range Rover, but will it find its way into other Land Rovers?
By looking at the new Discovery unveiled in Paris, it seems like Land Rover is on the right track.
First of all, the new Discovery lost hundreds of pounds thanks to a modern aluminum structure. However, to give customers the strength and solid feel they expect out of a Land Rover, steel has been added in key locations.
The cockpit is offered in five- or seven-passenger configuration and marks a nice departure from the last version's austere interior. Same thing for the exterior looks. Lines are more fluid and organic, replacing the boxy style of last year.
Even though the SUV is more refined, Land Rover promises remarkable off-road performance. Available drivetrains includes a 3.0-litre supercharged V6 producing 340 horsepower or a 3.0-litre diesel good for 254 horsepower. Said power goes through an eight-speed ZF automatic transmission before spinning all four wheels. The gasoline-powered V6 can tow up to 8200 pounds.
Just to clarify: this Discovery will replace the LR4 sold here, not the Discovery Sport. Now, we just need to see if it will be named LR4, or finally embrace its international name.
Pricing has been announced at USD$50,985.