Land Rover Discovery - full details

Shock news - there's more to the Discovery than those remote control seats!

By now we're guessing you'll have probably heard that the all-new Land Rover Discovery has seven seats. And that you can control them via an app on your phone, whether you're sky diving with Bear Grylls (signal permitting) or in the queue at Ikea and ready to remotely configure the car to accommodate the BorkFjactor flat-pack wardrobe you're about to buy. Indeed, Land Rover has made such a fuss about this feature it comes almost as a surprise to hear there's anything else worth talking about.

Terrain Response familiar but updated

There kind of is though. Enough to fill an 11,023-word press release in fact. Don't worry, we're going to bring you the short version...

It's symbolic perhaps that you need to wade through over 8,000 of those words before you reach your first mention of the standard fit low-range transfer case. Now, the Discovery has never been a Defender style utility vehicle. But of all the 'lifestyle' Land Rover products the Discovery is the one most likely to actually get mud on its wellies; that it takes this long for the press info to get around to even mentioning the fact rather points to a decisive shift toward statement vehicle rather than genuine workhorse.

It'll still do it of course. Ground clearance is up a nominal 43mm, approach and departure angles are equivalent to or better than the Discovery 4 and the wading depth has gone up an impressive 200mm to 900mm. And there's an updated version of Terrain Response as well as an All-Terrain Progress Control system that holds a pre-set 'crawl' speed leaving you to simply point it in the direction you want to go.

That Land Rover seems more interested in talking about connectivity, remote control apps, stowage bins and the number of USB charging points (up to nine, seemingly) rather underlines the point that the marketing team appreciates the modern SUV buyer has barely a passing interest in off-road ability. And the new look - a significant departure from the blocky, functional appearance of the outgoing car - simply stresses that further, while aligning it within the burgeoning Land Rover range.

Anyway. Enough curmudgeonly beard stroking. Let's talk about the vehicle.

It can still do this if you're up for it!

Based on Land Rover's aluminium full-size SUV architecture, and entirely unrelated to the Discovery Sport with which it shares its branding, the new Discovery loses the old one's belt and braces ladder frame and - it's claimed - the best part of half a tonne in the process. That means it can make reasonable progress with just a four-cylinder engine under the bonnet, the entry-level S model getting a 240hp version of the Ingenium 2.0-litre diesel. Next step is a 258hp V6 diesel, torque increasing from 369lb ft to 442lb ft. There's a supercharged 340hp V6 petrol too, though few will likely go for that in the UK. All drive through the familiar eight-speed automatic gearbox and have multi-height air suspension.

Prices start at £43,495 for the SD4 in entry-level S trim and climb to £62,695 for the TD6 HSE Luxury; the £56,995 HSE is more or less in line price-wise with the outgoing Landmark version of the Discovery 4, which cost £56,005. That compares with £63,100 for a Range Rover Sport SDV6 HSE, which has a more powerful 306hp version of the V6 diesel. A Land Cruiser Invincible, arguably a closer match in spirit to the Discovery but powered by a 177hp 2.8-litre four-cylinder diesel, costs £54,905, while the Discovery Sport range tops out in the mid 40s.

Advances in here probably more of a priority

Early in the press bumph is the boast that the new Discovery "is for the digital age" and from those USB charging points to stowage bins measured in the number of iPads they'll hold it's clear this is for the modern family. As in one that communicates electronically, if not verbally. The latest InControl Touch Pro app can control more than just the seats too, doing familiar stuff like pre-warming or cooling the car before you set off, providing navigation to the doorstep of your choosing even if you have to disembark and use your phone to guide you the last few footsteps and all sorts of other stuff too. There's even a system to help you back that horsebox or (perhaps more PH) race car trailer into a tight space. Somewhat creepily the navigation system can even 'learn' regular journeys like the commute or school run and guide you around jams without you having to set a destination. That in addition to keeping your nearest and dearest up to date with progress, informing them of your ETA according to traffic conditions and other factors. No 'sorry, the traffic's a nightmare...' excuses then.

A big vehicle then, both literally and in what it represents for Land Rover and the SUV market in general. For the super keen 600 First Edition cars in a selection of colours even Land Rover describes as 'bold' will be made available for UK buyers at £68,295 with a full package of options and unique trim details. More from the big Paris unveiling in due course...