The all-new 2017 Land Rover Discovery, the Disco as many car lovers will call it, is packed from lither plates to sunroof with technology. The new disco has great tech that most people will use all the time and some that almost no one will use in their lifetimes. Most people will love the Activity Key that allows you to unlock the Discovery with a wristband. Thirteen different systems and 23,000 lines of code. That’s how much computing power is needed in the 2017 Land Rover Discovery.
The 23,000 lines of code are just for the power folding seats, which can be raised and lowered using an app on your phone.
Land Rover has somewhat altered the formula for the Range Rover’s more rugged sibling. The Disco now has a new shape and a posher cabin, it’s now upmarket and looks closer to the Range Rover, but we are told it has kept its workhorse reputation.
The Disco has InControl Touch Pro infotainment system which is a big improvement over Land Rover’s previous systems. It has a 10-inch horizontal screen that’s easy to scroll through, plus quick keys at the bottom, so you can always get back to the home screen. Its navigation system offers door-to-door direction-finding, with directions from your parked Disco to your destination on your smartphone.
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The new system also has a Commute Mode that learns your usual routes, which is a smart AI. Once it understands how you get from home to work five mornings a week, it can suggest routes that avoids traffic or accidents. The best part is that if you want it can send messages to your coworkers to let them know what time you will be arriving.
The 2017 Land Rover Discovery has ADAS features like other luxury cars, including park assist, pedestrian detection and automatic cruise control. Also, like many other cars, you can unlock the Discovery from a smartwatch app.
The front is dominated by the new infotainment screen which can is 10 inches, if the InControl Touch Pro system is stated. It links up smartphone apps so they can be used through the main display, and includes a 4G WiFi hotspot for up to eight devices. There are up to nine USB ports on board, along with four 12V charging points. Interior storage includes a hidden cubby behind the air-con controls, a centre console bin that can house four iPads and a flush-fitting ‘curry hook’ in the front passenger footwell, designed to keep shopping bags upright and secure.
It doesn’t take much more than a superficial glance to realize this Discovery isn’t just new, it’s a step change over the LR4/Discovery range that preceded it.
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That means it’s handsomely modern, if somewhat indistinct from its classmates. It’s also definitely less brawny looking than its forbear. It’s not immediately clear if this smoother, more homogenized look will trouble faithful Discovery owners, but if I’m being honest, the new look doesn’t sit entirely well with me.
The Discovery’s switch to Land Rover’s aluminium structure slashes around 480kg from the car’s weight. This, in turn, has allowed Land Rover to plumb in extra safety kits, plusher resources and greater soundproofing, as well as introducing Jaguar Land Rover’s original 2.0-litre four-cylinder diesel to the line-up.
We will finally getting a crack at that iconic vehicle once it lands in Zimbabwe, we can’t wait.
