The all-new 2017 Land Rover Discovery has been spied testing and despite the heavy camouflage looks to have clearly adopted styling cues from the Discovery Sport.

WHILE DETAILS of the all-new Land Rover Discovery are almost non-existent, these spy shots, the first we’ve seen of the new seven-seater show it will take on a more rounded shape. Think puffed up Discovery Sport and you’ll be pretty close.

The new Discovery (fifth generation) should retain the current vehicle’s roomy, practical interior but offer a more premium look and feel, ah la Range Rover Sport. Like the Range Rover, it’s expected the new Discovery will be much lighter, although it’s unknown whether it’ll ride on the same platform as the Range Rover and Range Rover Sport which achieved weight savings of around 420kg over their predecessor models.

In terms of engines, we can expect to see similar engines running as those in the rest of the family, so supercharged V6 and V8 diesel and petrol models are likely. A hybrid set-up could appear too. In terms of off-road tech, the Discovery should make use of the current generation Terrain Response with its auto mode and wade sensing option, but Land Rover might have something else up its sleeve for the Discovery… we’ll have to wait and see.

So, when can we expect to see the thing? Good question. But it’s possible we’ll know more towards the end of the year, or early next. It’s not known whether we’ll see the new Discovery revealed at the Geneva Motor Show next year, or at a US-based show later in the year. Whenever Land Rover decides to reveal you can bet that it’ll make a big deal.

What do you think of the look? Do you like the softening of the Discovery’s edges, or do you think it should retain its upright stance to differentiate it from the rest of the family… only problem is that would put it out of step with the Discovery Sport…