Land Rover Discovery Vision Concept: OFFICIAL (+video)

The Land Rover Discovery Vision Concept, Land Rovers pointer to a future Discovery family, has been revealed alongside a scale model of the Virgin Galactic in New York.

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Last night we had the first photo of the new Land Rover Discovery Vision Concept as it leaked out ahead of the Discovery’s reveal in New York alongside a scale mode of the Virgin Galactic and it public debut at the New York Motor Show.

But now we get the full Monty; photos, specifications and detail of the technology Land Rover is preparing for future models of the Discovery. And there’s more than one Discovery.

The new Discovery family will encompass the replacement for the Freelander and the Discovery, but it will also reach below the Freelander in size. It will certainly offer 7-seat versions of the new Freelander and a rugged off-road version to sit below the new Discovery to tackle cars like the Toyota Land Cruiser is highly probable.

So which of these forthcoming Land Rover Discovery models does the Vision Concept preview, you may ask? The answer, it seems, is all of them.

Although it now looks like the Vision Concept is more new Discovery than new Freelander, it seems the Vision is about showcasing the family style and technology to come, rather than a specific, single model.

What the new Discovery Concept is is a complete departure from the current boxy style of both Freelander and Discovery. That, no doubt, will upset those who equate rugged to boxy but, certainly one the new look has become familiar, it will seem the right way to go.

There are tributes to Land Rovers past with an interpretation of the stepped roof at the back, but the Discovery Vision is a much sportier-looking offering with more curves, shorter overhangs and hints of the new Range Rover in its DNA.

There’s no split tailgate but there is a contraption that slides out of the boot to create a seat, there’s seating for seven and huge versatility for that seating too with a seemingly endless variety of configurations.

Inside is much slicker, sportier, luxurious and simpler than the current Discovery of Freelander with a big central touchscreen performing the functions buttons used to (and touch controllers on the steering wheel too) and luxurious upholstery that’s both oil and water resistant.

Technology is front and centre on the new Discovery too, with laser headlights that scan the road and adjust as needed, Smart Glass which can display images (perfect for the ‘Transparent Bonnet’ tech), Smartphones integration for passengers, Laser Terrain Scanning that maps the terrain and even a remote control that’ll let you inch the Discovery along from outside.

It’s a strong statement of intent for a new family of Discovery models, and an indication of where technology is taking Land Rover and Range Rover in the future.