JLR SPIED Discovery heads to a hybrid future
THE Mk3 Discovery has been on sale in the UK for almost three years, which means it’s ready for its mid-cycle facelift. To keep the SUV competitive with key rivals such as the Volvo XC90 and Audi Q7, the update seen in these spy shots will bring a handful of styling tweaks and new hybrid powertrains.
We’ll have to wait a while to see a plug-in hybrid version of the Discovery, but mildhybrid drive will be much more of a priority in this update. Diesel engines traditionally sell well in the Discovery, so a 48-volt mild-hybrid adaptation of the SUV’s existing 2.0-litre four-cylinder and 3.0-litre six-cylinder units seems likely.
Land Rover could also borrow the range of mild-hybrid petrol and diesel powertrains from the new Evoque, but whether Land Rover will be able to adapt the Discovery’s current underpinnings to accommodate this across the line-up remains unknown.
However, JLR has said that every new product launched from now on will feature some form of electrification as the firm tries to drive down its average CO2 fleet output.
Cosmetically, the updated Discovery won’t change dramatically over the current model, with the revisions limited to subtle lighting and bumper tweaks. Spy shots reveal that the offset – and controversial – number plate will remain. The updated SUV is expected to go on sale later this year.
“Mild-hybrid engines will be much more of a priority in these updates“