Land Rover unveils Discovery Vision Concept in New York

Land Rover revealed its Discovery Vision Concept at the USS Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum Monday night ahead of the New York auto show.

Land Rover says it's a vision of future Discovery vehicles, the first of which is due in 2015. The Discovery is now sold as the LR4 in the United States, but Land Rover says it will eventually shift the name back to "Discovery" for the North American market -- that's what we knew it as when it first made landfall, anyway.

The Discovery Vision is shaped like a bigger Ford Explorer. It has many hallmarks of a concept, such as the lack of side mirrors and door handles, not to mention giant wheels with rubber-band tires. Still, LR did say that the lack of door handles was something that would make it to production; the Discovery will sense your hand motions and pop the door automatically. There will be several other motion controls, as well.

Land Rover

Inside, the concept SUV can be converted from a seven-seat configuration to five with a table or a limo-style configuration with the middle seats pushed up and the rear seats pushed back. It also features carry-away roller luggage integrated into the doors. The middle seat in the middle row can fold down into a table. Seating surfaces are covered in water- and oil-repellent Foglizzo premium leather that can be cleaned in seconds.

The next Discovery will feature Land Rover's “transparent hood” setup that projects the road beneath onto the windshield, making the hood look see-through. It uses laser scanners to render a road contour map in the instrument cluster and it can help drivers chart a path over rough terrain and check water depth for wading.

Land Rover

“The Discovery Vision Concept demonstrates where Jaguar Land Rover's pioneering technology and great, modern design could take the SUV in future,” said Dr. Wolfgang Epple, director of research and technology. “It showcases the innovative approach that continues our leadership of the off-road segment. Smarter, more connected, more desirable and more capable -- the Land Rover vehicle of tomorrow will be fully and perfectly integrated into everyday life.”

The 2014 New York auto show runs April 16-27 and is expected to attract a range of production and concept cars including the 2015 Mustang convertible, BMW M4 convertible and next Hyundai Sonata. Check out Autoweek's complete coverage at autoweek.com/new-york-auto-show.

By Jake Lingeman