New Land Rover Discovery to be unveiled in 2016

Land Rover is putting the finishing touches to its fifth-generation Discovery model ahead of its global unveil next year.

The new Discovery will feature a lower, sleeker design inspired by last year’s Discovery Vision concept and a plusher, more upmarket cabin that will be no less practical or versatile than that of the current model. The new model will also be significantly lighter and come packed with new technology when it goes on sale late next year.

The new seven-seat model will crown a family of “a minimum of three” Discovery models, Land Rover design director Gerry McGovern revealed at the recent Los Angeles motor show.

The smaller Discovery Sport is also part of this said family, and McGovern left the door open for another Discovery model below that car in size, as Land Rover looks to explore new classes and body styles in order to cash in on a growing global SUV market that will soon top 20 million sales worldwide.

The new Discovery is set to be underpinned by the same bonded and riveted aluminium monocoque structure used in the Range Rover and Range Rover Sport models, two cars alongside which the new Discovery will be built at Jaguar Land Rover’s Solihull plant.

This should contribute to a significant weight saving over the 2,622kg kerb weight of the current car, which is underpinned by the strong but heavy T5 ladder chassis.

For most of the global market, the core engine is set to be an updated version of the 3.0-litre SDV6 diesel found in the current Discovery, as well as the Range Rover Sport and Range Rover models.

Hybrid technology would appear ripe for the Discovery, but recent hybrid and electric research projects revealed by Jaguar Land Rover are expected to enter production until the next decade.