The 2014 Land Rover Discovery will get a new look, a new V6 engine and significant new badging when it hits Australian showrooms in March.
For the first time in history, ‘Discovery’ badging replaces ‘Land Rover’ at the edge of the bonnet, while the number ‘4’ has been removed from the tailgate, leaving just the word ‘Discovery’.
Engine badging also moves from the tailgate to the front doors, appearing as either ‘SCV6’, ‘SDV6’ and ‘TDV6’ depending on its specification.
The 2014 Discovery line-up will be an all-V6 affair, with Jaguar Land Rover’s new 3.0-litre supercharged petrol engine replacing the current model’s naturally aspirated 5.0-litre V8.
The V6 – familiar from the new Jaguar F-Type – produces 250kW of power at 6500rpm and 450Nm of torque at 3500-5000rpm, leaving it 26kW/60Nm shy of the V8.
Despite its smaller capacity, Land Rover’s provisional data suggests the V6 could actually be less efficient than the V8, quoting combined cycle fuel consumption of 14.1 litres per 100km and average CO2 emissions of 328 grams per kilometre, compared with 13.9L/100km and 324g/km respectively for the V8.
Land Rover Australia’s James Scrimshaw stressed the numbers were provisional and said the brand expects the V6 to be more efficient than the V8 when final data is confirmed closer to its launch.
The supercharged V6 is also paired with the ZF eight-speed automatic transmission, upgrading from the V8’s six-speed unit and coming into line with the rest of the Discovery range.
The two 3.0-litre diesel engines carry over unchanged: the TDV6 producing 155kW/600Nm and the SDV6 183kW/600Nm, and both consuming fuel at a rate of 8.8L/100km.
Further distinguishing the 2014 Land Rover Discovery from its predecessor is a refreshed front end, comprising a new grille and bumper, and redesigned headlights and LED daytime running lights.
Two new alloy wheel designs join the range, while the Black Design Pack remains available, sporting unique styling elements including 19- and 20-inch black alloys.
An enhanced range of driver assistance, comfort and safety features will be available in the 2014 Land Rover Discovery including wade sensing, blind spot monitoring, closing vehicle sensing, reverse traffic detection and T-junction cameras.
Aligning the Discovery with other Range Rover models is the availability of two Meridian premium audio systems: a 380-watt 11-speaker unit and a high-performance 825-watt 17-speaker system.
Full specifications and pricing details will be revealed closer to the 2014 Discovery’s local launch. The current Discovery 4 range is priced from $68,545 to $129,545.
