By Amanda Mfuphi

Land Rover South Africa has unveiled the updated Discovery which has an updated exterior design, enhanced interior that comes with the advanced Pivi Pro infotainment system and the latest generation of powerful and efficient six-cylinder Ingenium petrol and diesel engines that were recently unveiled in the Range Rover Sport model.

Exterior

The updated Discovery retains the Discovery DNA design cues that we have all become accustomed to – including the clamshell bonnet, the stepped roof, and the highly visible C-pillar. What has been revised upfront is the bumper and LED headlights. The revised front bumper features a wider body-coloured graphic and new side vents as well new signature LED headlights with a daytime running light signature set lower into the units. The rear also gets a revised bumper that features the new signature LED lights, which are joined across the back of vehicle by a new gloss black panel. The updated Discovery comes with an optional hands-free Gesture Tailgate which can detect the wave of a foot beneath the rear bumper to open the boot while the Powered Inner Tailgate.

The new R-Dynamic model offers customers unique design elements, including purposeful gloss black and shadow atlas exterior accents on the outside and two-tone leather, and contrast seat stitching on the inside.

Interior

Inside, the updated Discovery features a new-look four-spoke steering wheel which has hidden-until-lit switches and metal gearshift paddles while a tactile new gear selector provides instinctive control of the powertrain. At the back of the cabin, the second-row seats have been redesigned for enhanced comfort. The seats feature improved lateral support, longer thicker cushions and careful seat profiling. 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.

Technology

The updated Discovery comes with Land Rover’s cutting edge Pivi Pro infotainment and a redesigned centre console with an 11.4-inch full HD touchscreen and a 12.3-inch Interactive Driver Display. The 12.3-inch Interactive Driver Display provides high-definition 3D mapping within the instrumentation, leaving the central touchscreen free to control other applications.

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 the inconvenience of visiting a retailer.

The updated Discovery comes standard with Apple CarPlay, Android Auto and wireless charging with signal boosting technology. Comfort and convenience are further enhanced by the introduction of Land Rover’s Click and Go tablet holders, incorporated into the front seatbacks. The easy-to-use system also includes USB-A charging sockets that are perfectly located to minimise trailing wires.

New Engines

The updated Discovery introduces two new straight-six cylinder Ingenium engines, both petrol and diesel, with the petrol version featuring 48V Mild Hybrid Electric Vehicle (MHEV) technology for enhanced efficiency, performance and smoothness. The D300 six-cylinder Ingenium diesel features lightweight aluminium construction with a low-friction design and replaces the previous SD4 and SDV6 diesels.

Updated Discovery engine line-up for South Africa includes:

• P360: 3.0-litre six-cylinder MHEV petrol with 265kW and 500Nm of torque; and
• D300: 3.0-litre six-cylinder diesel with 221kW and 650Nm of torque.

Availability and Pricing

The updated Discovery will be introduced in the first half of 2021 in S, SE R-Dynamic and HSE R-Dynamic trim levels. The pricing of the updated Discovery will be as follows:

D300 S                                    R1,452,700

D300 SE R-Dynamic              R1,561,200

D300 HSE R-Dynamic           R1,675,900

P360 S                                    R1,487,600

P360 SE R-Dynamic              R1,596,100

P360 HSE R-Dynamic           R1,710,900