The 2018 Land Rover Discovery reminds us of the recent concepts introduced by the carmaker, and this new model was presented at the Paris Motor Show. The British manufacturer must be proud of the Discovery, a vehicle that has been an all-terrain master over the years and this is what design chief Gerry McGovern has to say about this SUV.
“Land Rover is going through a transformation,” he says, citing a market that he claims is seeking “premium refinement” and models such as the new Disco. “People won’t accept big panel gaps anymore,” McGovern concluded.
The Land Rover Discovery is based on the D7 platform which is made mostly out of aluminum, and that can be found under the Range Rover and Range Rover Sport with wishbone front and multi-link rear suspension in combination with air springs. Opposite to the Range Rover, the Discovery is equipped with steel subframes in order to increase the strength of the vehicle and keep the floor of the cabin low and thus improve the headroom, especially for the third-row passengers. The new model will arrive at the US shores with both five and seven seats as it replaces the LR4.
Even though the new 2018 Land Rover Discovery is not as boxy as before, its off-road capabilities remain on a high level. The entry and departure angles and ground clearance are astonishing, and the car also comes with the latest Terrain Response System and a wading depth of 35.4 inches. According to the Land Rover’s engineering department, the new Disco is expected to be better when it comes to the rough terrain than its predecessor or any of the ongoing SUVs.
It is longer and wider than the current LR4, and because of some serious changes, the new vehicle saved almost 1,000 pounds. The aerodynamics has been improved as well, while we are also getting active grille shutters and an air suspension which can be lowered at speed improving on-road driving and efficiency.
2018 Discovery Interior
Inside, there are three rows of power-folding seats, and once you are in need of additional cargo space, you can fold flat the rear rows to get 88.3 cubic feet. The vehicle is equipped with a Wi-Fi hotspot which can be used by eight devices simultaneously, six USB ports and six 12-volt chargers are there so you can be sure that all your mobile devices will be getting enough of juice. Moreover, the seats can be heated individually, and five child seat ISOFIX points are available in the car.
Land Rover decided to give up on the old split rear tailgate and replace it with a top-hinged one that features an aluminum picnicking/standing/seating plate. This plate can support up to 661 pounds, but just like the current model, the 2018 Discovery doesn’t offer a lot of room while all the seats are upright. This is why the fold-down plate could be useful, but we cannot judge it before we try it.
Land Rover Discovery Engine
Under the hood is a 3.0-liter supercharged V6 engine that produces 340 horsepower and which powers all of the trims. The unit is connected to the ZF eight-speed automatic, and there is an optional single or two-speed Torsen-based torque biasing center gearing. The second engine in the lineup is the 3.0-liter turbodiesel which delivers 254 hp, while the towing capacity of the 2018 Land Rover Discovery is 8,201 pounds.
When the original model was introduced in Frankfurt back in 1989, it was a fashionable addition and Chris Woodwark, the company’s Commercial Director at that time said: “It’s a leisure vehicle not aimed at the luxury sector at all. Discovery, if you like, is for Yuppies and Range Rover is for people who’ve already made it.”
2018 Land Rover Discovery release date and price
According to McGovern, the key features of today’s Discovery are reconfigurability, versatility, storage and “lifestyle-enabling.” In 27 years, more than 1.2 million examples of the Discovery were sold, and Land Rover wouldn’t be a company it is today without this model. Once the 2018 version goes on sale later this year, it will cost $50,985.
