News / 10 November 2020 / Staff Writer

New Land Rover Discovery – Upgraded engines and features for South Africa

Land Rover has announced a range of updates to its Discovery SUV, which will be available in South Africa in the first half of 2021.

The new Discovery includes updated engines, enhanced connectivity, upgraded LED headlights, new bumpers, an updated centre console, enhanced air filtration, and more comfort, said the company.

“Featuring the latest-generation of powerful and efficient six-cylinder Ingenium petrol and diesel engines, advanced Pivi Pro infotainment, and superior comfort and practicality, the new Discovery remains one of the most capable, connected, and versatile full seven-seat premium SUVs in the world,” said Land Rover.

Engines and drive

Land Rover has included two new straight-six Ingenium engines – petrol and diesel – in the Discovery line-up.

The petrol version features 48V “Mild Hybrid Electric Vehicle” technology for enhanced efficiency, performance, and smoothness.

“The D300 six-cylinder Ingenium diesel features a lightweight aluminium construction with a low-friction design and replaces the previous SD4 and SDV6 diesels,” said Land Rover.

In South Africa, this will be configured in the Discovery as follows:

P360 – 3.0-litre six-cylinder MHEV petrol, 265kW, 500Nm of torque.
D300 – 3.0-litre six-cylinder diesel, 221kW, 650Nm of torque.

The engines are then paired with “advanced driveline”, which “optimises the torque split between front and rear axles, using a range of sensors to distribute torque to suit the conditions”.

“The new intelligent all-wheel drive system maximises traction, on-road dynamics, and driveline efficiency, resulting in improved fuel economy and reduced CO2 emissions in normal driving, with no compromise to Discovery’s trademark all-terrain capability,” said the company.

Air suspension is also included as standard, along with adaptive dynamics damper technology which monitors vehicle movements up to 500 times a second and reacts to driver or road inputs almost instantaneously for greater body control.

A new “wade mode” for deep-water fording and a configurable terrain response system – which allows drivers to fine-tune throttle mapping, gearbox shift points, steering, and suspension settings – are other features packed into the Discovery.

“New Discovery also benefits from ClearSight Ground View technology, providing drivers with a view of the obscured ground directly beneath the front of the vehicle using the central touchscreen and a combination of forward-facing cameras,” said Land Rover.

Connected vehicle

On the inside, the new Discovery features a range of connected solutions, including a Pivi Pro infotainment system, an 11.4-inch full HD touchscreen in the centre console, and a 12.3-inch driver display.

These are paired with two LTE modems that support a dual-SIM set-up, which allows occupants to go online, stream media, and download software updates for the SUV.

Furthermore, the new Discovery provides high-definition 3D mapping within the instrumentation.

“The high-resolution digital instruments can be configured to show a pair of conventional dials, full-screen 3D navigation guidance, or a combination of the two – allowing drivers to customise the view to suit their preference.”

An optional full-colour head-up display is also available to customers, while Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, wireless smartphone charging, and USB-A connectivity are included as standard.

On the practical side, the new Discovery has a 2,485-litre loadspace with a five-seat configuration, while 258 litres of space is available when seven seats are in use.