2017 Land Rover Discovery India prices unofficially revealed ahead of launch

Land Rover India will officially announce the price and open booking of the new Discovery on August 9.

Tata Motors-owned British marquee Land Rover is gearing up for the launch of the new Discovery SUV. The official launch of the SUV is scheduled for August 9, Wednesday, and Land Rover has sent e-mails to prospective customers with details on starting price.

According to the notification, Discovery will start from Rs 68.05 lakh, ex-showroom (city not specified). The receivers of the e-mail are privileged customers and they can book Discovery on August 7 and 8 while booking for others will commence with the price announcement on Wednesday.

The starting price is expected to be for the petrol-powered S trim, while the top-end HSE diesel variant is expected to cost nearly Rs 85 lakh. Discovery is the one of the most versatile SUV of Land Rover and it goes up against Mercedes-Benz GLS, BMW X5 and Audi Q7.

The company had unveiled the latest generation of Discovery at 2016 Paris motor show. The seven-seater has a soft and more round design than its boxy predecessors. Toning down the iconic boxy design of previous Discovery models may be a shock to Land Rover enthusiasts, but a softer, smoother body style has been adopted in line with other new generation Land Rover SUVs. The round body panels create less drag, increase efficiency and reduce emissions.

The new Discovery is based on the aluminium monocoque chassis, which saves 480 kg over previous models and makes it 20 percent lighter. This alone will improve fuel efficiency by seven percent.

Inside, the SUV boasts of dual tones and high-quality materials with a flawless finish. The cabin is roomier and appears more luxurious. It also boasts of tech rich that include 4G internet, nine USB ports, and folding seats controlled by a smartphone app.

India-spec models are expected to come in Si6 and TDV6 trims. The SUV will draw power from a supercharged petrol 3.0-litre V6 that develops 335bhp and provides 450Nm of maximum torque. On the other hand, the six-cylinder diesel Td6 will deliver 254bhp and peak torque of 600Nm.