The Land Rover Discovery can tackle just about anything, from barren deserts to jungles and swampland, it is able to tackle the harshest of terrains that would have other vehicles bogged down or broken down. It will soon be about to get a lot better if the latest concept of the Discovery Vision concept is anything to go by. This is a futuristic version of the Land Rover Discovery that comes with, among many other things, an innovative interior, panoramic roof, laser headlamps and much more.
[Image Courtesy of Land Rover]
From 2015 the Discovery will evolve into a range of vehicles that will be very distinct and which will symbolise the premium SUV with of course the Land Rover brand name at its core. The Vision Concept is the Land Rover window into the future for the Discovery family and it is a new interpretation of what has become an iconic brand. It will still focus on practicality and of course it will have a design that is compelling.
While the Discovery Vision Concept is a full sized SUV, it does give a look that seems to be compact and this has been achieved due to some very clever design elements, which includewrap-around headlamps along with tail lamps, short front and back overhangs that go towards reducing the overall visual length.
The headlights of the car make use of some of the latest laser technology to offer the driver far reaching beams along with LED daytime running lights, while slim fog lamps emit coloured and infrared lasers. This all goes towards helping with the Laser Terrain Scanning along with the Laser Referencing functions. That’s a lot of laser!
The Discovery badge has been mounted flush to the surface of the hood, while the edges are clean and smooth and they meet with the wipers that are hidden under a panel that is flush and which deploys when the wipers are inactive and then rise fast towards the panoramic roof.
Looking at the Discovery from the side profile you can see the incredible level of space inside the cabin. There are four coach doors, with rear doors being hinged at the back to offer entry that is more spacious and much easier to climb into. There is no need for door handles, this results in clean lines that show off the stunningly crafter surfaces along with flush gaps between the interfaces.
Cameras are embedded in the slim aerodynamic door mirrors, these augmenting the view of the driver in the windows, which provides extended field of vision when parking and reversing. The stepped roof flows to alpine windows, while there is the distinctive design element on the license plate panel on the rear, which gives reference to the heritage of the Discovery.
The electrically powered and gesture controlled single piece tailgate is linked to an even platform, which can be electronically deployed from within the bumper on the rear. Hidden wipers are also concealed underneath the rear spoiler. Tribeca Grey was the choice of colour for the concept car with 23 inch split five spoke bespoke Aero Viper alloys complete with finish in bright silver.
Form, colour and materials greet the eye on the interior and while it is simple, it is striking and welcoming. The design team got it right with the interior crafted in Nimbus white and Navy blue leather, premium of course, blended into the open pore grey wood veneer and shimmering polished, brushed aluminium finishes. The panoramic large glasshouse roof allows in plenty of light, offering stunning views out, while at the same time the car provides a sense of security thanks to the high belt-line.
Seating seven adults in total comfort, the concept car has a layout in three rows of 2/3/2, with each passenger having ample head and legroom, along with access to the numerous accessories, infotainment and storage in the cabin.
The steering wheel comes fitted with two OLED touchscreens which operate the infotainment centre; headlamp functions along with turn signals are operated by gestures. To create less clutter and offer more visual space the indicator stalks are absent, the driver is presented with a clear view of the panel of instruments, including the HD screen with 3 million pixel resolution, offering vivid and sharp images.
Included in the Discovery Vision Concept is some very futuristic technology, such as smart glass. The glass is able to display imagery, such as the typical computer screen; however it is otherwise transparent, just like any other piece of glass. This glass has been used in all of the windows, including the panoramic roof, the Head-Up Display, in the windscreen and this opens up some very exciting possibilities.
[Image Courtesy of Land Rover]
Real time information can be overlaid using augmented reality, onto the view of the surroundings, which can be seen by the driver and the passengers. The smart glass has eye tracking sensors. The navigation system of the car is able to identify a passing landmark and then go ahead and display information that is relevant to the passengers, for instance navigation or tourist data. This information can then be swiped from that window onto the infotainment screen on the back of the seat for the passengers, or even placed onto the screen of a phone or tablet that is docked.
[Image Courtesy of Land Rover]
The glass can be dimmed and even blacked out for complete privacy, with just a single swipe of the finger, while the panoramic roof can display mood screens, aka screensavers, for instance, a starry night sky or a summer sky when it’s cold and dreary outside.
The infotainment system offers individual 10 inch high res displays on four of the seat backs, which offer passengers full video and internet access courtesy of the secure in car Wi-Fi network. Additionally there are cameras embedded above the display which allows for passengers seated to make video calls to each other and the outside world.
[Image Courtesy of Land Rover]
Laser Terrain landscaping comes courtesy of the fog lamps, which emit infrared lasers which scan the road ahead when off road and map out the terrain. It then displays this imagery on the high definition screen and offers the driver visual reference along with helping to understand the layout of the terrain when driving in even the most challenging of conditions.
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