Disco’s not dead: Land Rover unveils all-new Discovery in Paris [News]

Land Rover Discovery

Land Rover unveiled the all-new Discovery at the 2016 Paris Motor Show, showcasing a vehicle that should appeal to the off-roaders and the family-haulers alike.

The three-row, seven-passenger Discovery retains some styling cues from previous Discos – like the stepped rear roofline – but for the most part just looks like a slightly larger Range Rover. The tall roofline and the up-sloping side creases give the new Discovery the optical illusion that it actually gets bigger from front to back. The tall rear quarters and overly large black-and-silver bumper give it odd proportions in the back, which is by far its worst viewing angle.

The front looks better thanks to the familial grille treatment that looks more like the Range Rover Evoque than the regular Range Rover. The side profile looks good, too, at least until the eyes get past the C-pillar to the bulbous rump.

Inside, the Discovery has an upright dash that’s an odd mix of utilitarian and luxurious. Circles and dials abound, from the gauges to the steering wheel buttons and down the center console to the HVAC, transmission and all-wheel-drive controls. The myriad of circles contrasting with the rectangular dash gives the Discovery interior a very geometric look.

Land Rover Discovery

At least the interior can be swathed in leather and wood trim, like Windsor leather and Oak veneer trim. The seven seats can also be configured and controlled through a smartphone app. Called Intelligent Seat Fold technology, the seats can be moved from either controls at the back, the infotainment screen, or from the app.

Under the hood, the Disco has either a 3.0-liter, supercharged gasoline V-6 or a 3.0-liter turbocharged diesel. The gas engine puts out 340 horsepower and 332 lb-ft of torque, while the diesel puts out 245 horsepower and 443 lb-ft of torque. It has a tow rating of 8,201 pounds.

The new Discovery will be in Land Rover showrooms in mid 2017 and will start at $49,990 plus $995 destination.

Let’s go into the wayback machine and go to the 2014 New York auto show and this TFLcar video of the Land Rover Discovery Vision concept, which was the precursor to the new Discovery: