Land Rover Finally Unveils The 2017 Discovery

2017 Land Rover Discovery (Credit: Land Rover)

After weeks of teasing, Land Rover has finally revealed the 2017 Discovery LR5. Not surprisingly, it looks quite a bit like the new Discovery Sport. Gone is the boxy form, replaced by a shapelier rear that avoids what could have been a bubble butt.

Before you worry too much, the new Disco is incredibly functional, like the LR4. It comes with three rows of seats for up to seven people, and you can fold the seats down into any configuration remotely using a smartphone app. Land Rover says there’s about 88 cubic feet of cargo space, which is about the same as the LR4. A liftgate is standard, along with a power-folding “inner” tailgate which is the perfect bench for changing muddy shoes, etc.

2017 Land Rover Discovery (Credit: Land Rover)

Being a Land Rover, the new Discovery is made to go pretty much anywhere. A 34-degree approach angle, 30-degree departure angle, and 27.5-degree breakover angle certainly helps. You also get electronic crawl control, and the SUV can ford up to about 3 feet of water.

Land Rover used aluminum to keep the Disco from becoming portly. The result is about 1,050 pounds shed, which is pretty incredible. A diesel engine is in the mix, but on this side of the pond we’ll probably get only the supercharged 3.0-liter V-6.

2017 Land Rover Discovery interior (Credit: Land Rover)

The Discovery is loaded with several semi-autonomous systems. One of the cleverest manages steering when reversing with a trailer attached, because nothing’s more embarrassing than jack-knifing your nice new boat.

Plenty of other technologies are included or available. For example, you can get up to 9 USB ports, 6 12-volt power outlets and 3G mobile WiFi that can accommodate up to 8 devices at a time. A waterproof activity key wristband means you can go swimming, kayaking, or whatever else without worrying about losing or damaging your keys.

2017 Land Rover Discovery cargo (Credit: Land Rover)