2015 the new discovery

jptruck said:

That thing looks very small. Honestly, that looks more like an overgrown Freelander than an LR4. Hopefully, they have something a bit more bulky coming out. I can't imagine all that plastic is going to do well rock crawling.

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From the few photos I have seen with Gerry McGovern standing next to it, the concept looks pretty massive to me, at least as large as the LR4 (unless Gerry is a Lilliputian.)





My guess is that, at least dimensionally, that's going to be the LR4 replacement, not the LR2's.

I understand it's a concept vehicle, but the flexible seating arrangement that they are emphasizing seems quite dependent on a lack of a B pillar and those rear suicide doors for access. Is it really possible that could make it to production? It's hard to imagine it having adequate structural rigidity for off-road with no B pillar in such a large vehicle.

Nah, suicide doors are just for auto show concepts. They show off the interiors better from a distant platform, but never make it to production for the exact structural reasons you mention. Also, it looks like you need to open the front door first for the rear suicide door to open... How convenient would that be in the real world?

umbertob said:

From the few photos I have seen with Gerry McGovern standing next to it, the concept looks pretty massive to me, at least as large as the LR4 (unless Gerry is a Lilliputian.)


My guess is that, at least dimensionally, that's going to be the LR4 replacement, not the LR2's.

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Not even close to same size interior as the LR4. He's taller than the roof line and the whole thing slopes inward on all sides. I don't know how tall you are but even if he's 6'-4", the roof line is much shorter than my lr3.

This thing is one of those vehicles like the Cayenne which is looks large outside with big footprint but is actually rather cramped inside. This looks like a fattened Evoque/LR2

Plus, they called it the Discovery "Sport" and say there will be a full range of designs within the Discovery segment. To me that reads as from small and cute up to large and useful.

For all of the comments about this being for soccer moms I saw on Facebook that at least one soccer mom had a less than positive reaction - and also for how-would-this-work-in-the-real-world reasons. Her issues were a bit different though. The one that stood out was her comment on the tracks for moving the seats back and forth. She pointed out that they would fill with (paraphrasing) Cheerios, crayons, coins, dirt, etc. ;-)

umbertob said:

Flexible seating configuration (cool, but where is the flat loading floor of the current model?)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_CMhBgHrlhc&feature=youtu.be

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I'm with Umberto on this. They boast about the load space with the passenger seat folded forward. Really? I'm supposed to roll my luggage over all these folded seats? There interior "terrain" is more hazard-prone than much of the terrain you all drive on! And they are very proud of these seats so I don't think the style folks would go for flat backs.

SFLR4 said:

“This design direction does take Discovery closer to Range Rover,” says McGovern, “but when you see the more rugged Defender the strategy will become clear.” And, he teases, the first of the Defenders is not too far away. For Land Rover enthusiasts who’ve long wanted a 21st-century version of one of the world’s most iconic off-roaders, that’s great news.

Read more: http://blogs.motortrend.com/1404_next_gen_land_rover_discovery_just_the_beginning.html#ixzz2z9fpsjMR

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This is a good point. The Discovery line (though it retains the name) has become the "leisure" line. We may find that in the years ahead as they build out a new "Defender" line they will incorporate enough "luxury" or "class" to make that the true replacement for our LRxs.

danrhiggins said:

...They boast about the load space with the passenger seat folded forward. ....

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Wow, I missed that. Here's some serious irony for you:

2006, I was finally in a position to consider buying a new Toyota Land Cruiser. I bought one and at first was very enamored. I could just tell it would be a mostly worry free long term experience while maybe not as emotionally satisfying as my first Land Rover, the 1996 Discovery.

Then, while at the LR dealer getting my 2004 Discovery serviced, I came across the LR3 and it's FANTASTIC flat floor seating design. No other vehicle was like this and to me it was PURE form-follows-function design execution.

The air suspension also pulled me in as well as the taller interior cargo space. I had gotten used to the very tall cargo area in my discoveries and couldn't justify the $ of a new G so back to the Land Rover and into an LR3. Funny that for me the same feature but in devolved execution will end my relationship with any future models.

For me the Defender tiny box will be too small if emulating the D90. I would definitely love a modern D110 though.

Watched seating video. Wish they'd show a person popping a seat out to make room for some large cargo like a medium size freezer or a boxed standing 55-65" TV.

I agree, the tracks will fill with crud of all sorts by anyone who "uses" the vehicle.

It could be like a 4x4 Honda Element....

interesting:

http://truckyeah.jalopnik.com/land-rover-discovery-concept-is-all-show-not-the-futur-1563225357

Also, check out the forth comment with the Ford explorer photos