Over the past few years, Land Rover has thoroughly revamped its lineup, adding new models that stretch the brand’s traditional identity, and overhauling old ones. But one Land Rover has been left out of this process, until now.
The Land Rover Discovery (sold as the LR4 in the U.S.) is next in line for a full redesign. A new Discovery will debut September 28 at an event ahead of the 2016 Paris Motor Show with what is expected to be a significantly different design from the current model. The new Discovery will test Land Rover’s ability to expand its appeal, while still keeping traditionalists happy.
Previous reports indicated that the next Discovery will drop the current model’s boxy styling, and the lone teaser image released by Land Rover seems to support that. While the front end is still fairly imposing and upright, it also resembles that of the smaller Discovery Sport crossover, which shares nothing but a name with the big Discovery. Land Rover may try to adapt elements from the Discovery Vision concept, which debuted way back at the 2014 New York Auto Show with sleeker styling than the current Discovery/LR4.
Read more: Land Rover Range Rover SVAutobiography Dynamic debuts
Land Rover has sought to create a “family” of Discovery models, mirroring the current Range Rover “family,” which includes the original Range Rover, the Range Rover Sport, and the Range Rover Evoque crossover. So far, though, the Discovery “family” will be limited to the Discovery and Discovery Sport.
The next Discovery will continue to offer seating for seven, and could use the aluminum platform that underpins the current Range Rover and Range Rover Sport to save weight. The current U.S.-market LR4 is offered only with Jaguar Land Rover’s ubiquitous 3.0-liter supercharged V6, but Land Rover could add other options to the new model. Like every other Land Rover, expect the Discovery to offer impressive off-road ability.
The new Land Rover Discovery debuts in Paris later this month, and goes on sale in the U.S. in the middle of next year. Stick with DT for more details on this go-anywhere luxury SUV.
