In order to create the world’s most capable family SUV you must first understand the needs of the world’s most capable families. That’s why the Land Rover Discovery’s designers and engineers take their work home with them.
Throughout the thousands of hours of development that go into making an all-new Land Rover, there’s a team of children testing, challenging and representing the needs of the modern family every day. And the toughest thing of all? Keeping everything their mums and dads do a secret right up until the new car is revealed.
So who better to create the final camouflage design for the new Land Rover Discovery than the junior brains who already know the new vehicle inside out? Tasked with hiding the new Land Rover Discovery’s design details, the children, aged between five and nine, set to work on drawing their favourite days out and, of course, signing their names against their work.
The finishing touch? The thick coat of mud applied as the New Discovery proves its world-class capability to seven happy family members inside.
Alex Heslop, Land Rover’s Chief Engineer for Discovery, said: “Being able to get the children involved in our final camouflage design brought a smile to all our faces. They don’t always realise it, but these kids have played a major role in developing the New Discovery.
“There is no better insight into the needs of the modern family than the first-hand experience we glean at home. That’s why we have up to nine USB ports to charge everyone’s devices, why we’ve got space to hide four iPads away securely and why every seat has been designed to be the best seat in the house.”
The New Discovery embodies Land Rover’s drive to go Above and Beyond, combining British desirability with an unstoppable spirit of adventure.
Packed with technology for the family, the digital Discovery features a system that allows owners to configure their vehicle seating through the InControl Remote app on their smartphone from anywhere. The world-first Intelligent Seat Fold technology enables the two rear rows of seats to be fully reconfigured in as little as 14 seconds via the InControl Remote app downloaded on any iOS or Android operating system.
The New Discovery development story
35,000 individual component tests…
294 development vehicles…
20 countries…
Leading to…
One New Discovery
Land Rover has completed a grueling Discovery testing and development programme to ensure families around the world will benefit from world-class capability, versatility, and safety, no matter what the driving conditions.
The new model is the first Land Rover to undergo a full programme of virtual testing prior to the physical testing process, delivering robust quality and durability before any prototypes are built.
Land Rover’s global engineering team subjected the vehicle to extreme climates and terrains in over 20 countries. Sand driving in +40 degrees Celsius heat in the dunes of Dubai, altitude testing in the Colorado mountains, and ice-driving in the sub-zero temperatures of Arjeplog, Sweden, were all part of the 28-month schedule.
Note: Press release courtesy of Land Rover.