Land Rover Discovery facelift revealed

The Land Rover Discovery has been updated for the 2021 model year. The British marque has taken the covers off the facelift to the fifth-gen model, which originally made its debut back in late-2016. Featuring a refreshed design, new tech and a set of hybridised powertrains, the updated Discovery aims to further the versatile character of the full-size, 7-seat SUV. Here's a closer look at all that's new.

• Updated Discovery gets styling in line with Land Rover’s latest design language
• Cabin highlights include a larger touchscreen, new upholstery options and improved seats
• All engines, except the base petrol, get a 48V mild-hybrid setup

2021 Land Rover Discovery exterior

With the 2021 Discovery, Land Rover has largely maintained the design of the outgoing model, though the styling has been spruced up in many places. The front fascia has been restyled to bring it in line with the latest iteration of the Discovery Sport. Chief amongst the changes up front are the restyled grille and headlamps that now feature the LED Matrix tech on higher variants. 

At the back, the asymmetrical profile of the tailgate has been carried over, though the design has been enhanced with a pair of reworked tail-lamps that sport bolder LED elements. Another cool touch is the provision of sweeping, directional turn indicators. Folks with a keener eye will notice that the 'Discovery' badge has been shifted from the body panel to the new black trim interconnecting the tail-lights. Moving lower down, the rear bumper has been reshaped as well.

The updated Discovery also gets a new R-Dynamic trim line that provides a gloss-black treatment to numerous trim elements, including the grille, bumper and body cladding, alloy wheels, wing mirrors and the roof. R-Dynamic models can also be identified by the unique, triple slats in the side air curtains of the front bumper.  

2021 Land Rover Discovery interior

As with the exterior, changes on the inside too are largely evolutionary. The Discovery's cabin retains its basic layout, with a raft of upgrades imparting it a new-age look. Taking pride of place on the dashboard is the tablet-style 11.4-inch touch display. Dubbed the Pivi Pro, the new infotainment system has been borrowed from the recent crop of JLR models and is said to be far more intuitive to operate than the 10-inch Touch Pro display it replaces.

The air-con panel has been restyled with new touch controls. Further down, the rotary gear knob from the previous Discovery has made way for a more conventional setup, with a stubby gear selector. Also new is the chunky, four-spoke steering that is inspired from the one in the reborn Defender. 

The set of improvements isn’t merely aesthetic, with Land Rover focusing on passenger comfort as well. The company says that the second-row seats now provide better lateral and thigh support, and that the rear AC vents have been relocated from the B-pillars to the central console in the interest of better ventilation. As a first, customers even have the option to spec the cabin with non-leather upholstery that uses a recycled polyester microfiber.

2021 Land Rover Discovery features and variants

The facelifted SUV is said to use Land Rover’s new Electronic Vehicle Architecture (EVA 2.0) that brings in a suite of advanced technologies. Some of the notable features include over-the-air (OTA) updates, connected car tech, PM2.5 cabin air filtration and the company’s “ClearSight Ground View” system that uses forward-facing cameras to provide a view of the ground beneath the front of the vehicle – something that would surely be useful while negotiating off-road trails.

As before, equipment on offer includes a 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster, wireless charging, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto compatibility, 360-degree parking camera, electrically foldable second- and third-row seats, optional head-up display and a host of driving assistance tech.

The Land Rover SUV continues to be underpinned by an aluminium monocoque structure and there are no changes in dimensions either. Rim sizes range from 19-inches to 22-inches. The Discovery still packs in adaptive dampers, standard air suspension and Terrain Response 2 traction modes, though the company says that the “new Intelligent All-Wheel Drive system” improves drivability.

The updated Discovery will be available in international markets in the S, SE and HSE trim levels, along with the sporty R-Dynamic pack.  

2021 Land Rover Discovery engine-gearbox options

Land Rover has significantly overhauled the powertrain line-up of the 2021 Discovery. While the outgoing model featured a range of 2.0-litre, four-cylinder and 3.0-litre V6 petrol and diesel engines, the updated SUV packs in the latest generation of JLR's Ingenium powertrains, with an increased focus on hybridisation.

The sole 2.0-litre, four-cylinder mill in the range is now the 300hp P300 petrol. Then, there’s a pair of 3.0-litre, in-line six-cylinder engines; the petrol puts out 360hp (P360), while the diesel is offered in two states of tune – 249hp (D250) and 300hp (D300). Except the lower powered petrol, all drivetrains feature 48V mild-hybrid tech to improve fuel efficiency.

An 8-speed torque converter automatic gearbox and all-wheel-drive system are standard across the range.      

2021 Land Rover Discovery India launch outlook

Land Rover India currently offers the pre-facelift Discovery in a price range of Rs 75.59-87.99 lakh (ex-showroom, India). Though the SUV was earlier available with a wider gamut of petrol and diesel powertrains, the line-up has since been reduced to just the 2.0-litre petrol. Expect the updated Discovery to make its India debut next year.

The British automaker recently announced prices of the 2021 model year Range Rover and Range Rover Sport for our market. The company also introduced the five-door Defender 110 last month, and expects to follow it up with deliveries of the three-door Defender 90 next year.

Also see:

2017 Land Rover Discovery review, test drive

Land Rover Defender P400e plug-in hybrid variant revealed

Land Rover unveils Discovery Sport and Evoque plug-in hybrids