The Land Rover Discovery gets a refresh for 2021
Believe it or not but the car in our photo is actually the new Discovery. It may not be easy to notice at first but Land Rover has given it a nip and a tuck to see it through the next few years. While some of the changes are obvious some of them are actually a little harder to spot. So to make things easier in this short article we’re going to tell you what’s new.
Starting at the front, a quick side-by-side comparison with the old car makes it tricky to see any real difference. Even after a long hard look it doesn’t get any easier either as the charges are just so subtle. However, look very closely and you’ll see that where the old LED headlight daytime running design had been broken up into little bits the new ones run in one long sweep through the cluster. This is hardly a revolution but it does look a little bit neater. On the new R Dynamic trim the front bumper gets extra straights in the side vents while the splitter is painted to match the main body colour.
Around at the back the Discovery’s offset number plate stays so it still looks as though it’s cringing about that one time it got itself stuck in a really awkward social situation at a party. The number plate’s surround is now finished in gloss black and incorporates Discovery lettering into it which does tidy things up a little. There’s more gloss black on the bumper too while the taillight graphics have been tweaked.
The neatness continues on the inside of the latest Discovery where a new display for Land Rover’s PIVI Pro infotainment system fits perfectly into the confines of the existing vertical dashboard design. The 11.4 inch screen looks much tidier than the old model which never quite sat flush in the same space. The new system is quicker than the previous setup and a twin sim configuration means that it can perform over-the-air updates without any slowdown. A revised user interface means than many functions take just half the number of keystrokes as they did before. Below the screen sits a revised air conditioning layout which looks smart with its big chunky rotary dials. The Discovery now gets a steering wheel that’s been lifted from the latest Land Rover Defender but it’s just a shame that the gear selector doesn’t rise out of the dash like a joystick in a sci-fi movie any more. Instead you just get a dreary looking leaver.
Sustainability is becoming a bigger part of Land Rover’s conscience each year so for the first time in Disco trim it’s possible to get your seats covered in sustainable non-leather trim though you can still get them trimmed in leather if you prefer it. Whilst the Discovery can be good for the environment on the outside it’s also prevalent for the passengers on the inside too. There’s a new air quality monitoring system which helps to filter out harmful pm 2.5 particulates from reaching the cabin. What this means is that everyone can breathe just that little bit easier.
As before the new Discovery gets seven seats but there’s more comfort all around. The second row gets longer seat bases to improve under thigh support while the bolstering around the sides has been adjusted which Land Rover says will help improve posture. The Discovery offers up to five IsoFix points for child seats while if you fold all of the seats down there’s a huge 2485 litre boot volume. There’s also 41.8 litres of cubby spaces so be prepared to put trinkets in the car that you’ll never see again.
Under the bonnet the new Discovery gets a choice of three six cylinder engines all of which come with mild-hybrid tech. A 48 volt system saves fuel by harvesting energy from coasting to charge the battery. This not only allows more off time for the start/stop system but also powers a small electric motor that reduces load on the combustion engine. It’s fitted to a 3.0 litre petrol called the P360 that produces 355 brake horse power (bhp) and 500 newton meters of torque. There’s also a pair of diesels too. The D250 makes 246 bhp and 570 newton meters of torque and the D300 produces 296 bhp and 650 newton meters of torque. The range kicks off with the P300 which is a 4 cylinder petrol with 256 bhp and 400 newton meters of torque which is basically carried over from the outgoing model.
As of typing, prices for the new Discovery start at £53,090 which is £4,500 more than the entry point of the outgoing car. However, this is mainly because the basic S model has been dropped. The range now starts from the better equipped SE trim which actually costs less than it did before.
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