New Disco on test
MORE images of the new Land Rover Discovery undergoing testing have been released prior to the world premiere of the fifth generation SUV at this week’s Paris Motor Show.
The vehicle has undergone some 28 months of trials in 20 countries across the globe, including endurance tests across the deserts of Dubai in temperatures of plus 40 degrees Celsius and in sub-zero conditions in the north of Sweden.
It has also been put through its paces at altitude in the Colorado mountains.
Land Rover says it has built 294 development vehicles to prove the new Discovery and carried out more than 35,000 individual component tests.
The new model is the first Land Rover to undergo a full programme of virtual testing prior to the physical testing process, delivering robust quality and durability before any prototypes are built.
Exact details of the latest Discovery are still being kept under wraps although Land Rover is already describing it as the ‘ultimate family SUV’.
During the development of the new seven-seat Disco the company’s engineers were tasked with involving their children in the design process and take on board their demands.
The youngsters also came up with the final camouflage design to keep the model’s final design a secret.
Alex Heslop, Land Rover’s chief engineer for the new Discovery, said: “Being able to get the children involved in our final camouflage design brought a smile to all our faces. They don’t always realise it, but these kids have played a major role in developing the New Discovery.
“There is no better insight into the needs of the modern family than the first- hand experience we glean at home. That’s why we have up to nine USB ports to charge everyone’s devices, why we’ve got space to hide four iPads away securely and why every seat has been designed to be the best seat in the house.”
The new model, which will be revealed at the Paris show on September 29, also features a system that allows owners to configure their vehicle seating through the InControl Remote app on their smartphone from anywhere.
Land Rover is claiming the so-called Intelligent Seat Fold Technology as a world-first and it enables the two rear rows of seats to be fully reconfigured in as little as 14 seconds via the app downloaded on any iOS or Android operating system.