A spanking new Land Rover Discovery is on its way and we’ve spied it testing on public roads in Germany.

Due for a debut next year, it will be the second member of Land Rover’s newly-formed Discovery family of ‘leisure’ models after the compact Discovery Sport, with the Discovery name to be used internationally this time, replacing the LR4 moniker in North America.

Trickling through the vertiginous black and white camouflage, we see that Land Rover is extending the modern styling theme first seen on last year’s Discovery Vision Concept before it was applied on the smaller, production Discovery Sport on the new SUV. At the same time, the British firm’s designers are softening down the iconic blocky looks of previous generation Discovery models, something that may not sit well with traditional fans of the series, but it could open it to a larger consumer base.

The dramatic makeover will be continued inside, with the Discovery’s cabin to resemble the concept model combining a modern design with plenty of gadgets and amenities such as a large central touchscreen for the infotainment system and a laser head-up display (HUD). It will offer a versatile interior for seven passengers with plenty of storage spaces and practical touches.

The fifth generation of the Disco will not only look slimmer, but it will actually be a lot slimmer on the scales, thanks largely in part to a new bonded and riveted aluminum monocoque shared with the latest and more upscale Range Rover and Range Rover Sport models.

The ‘leisure’ SUV’s box of tricks could include the new Transparent Bonnet technology that was featured on the concept and which feeds images to a head-up display via a front mounted camera to show the driver what’s under the car.

Land Rover has been quiet about the next Disco’s engines, but the JLR (Jaguar-Land Rover) group has plenty of options in its hands right now, including supercharged petrol and turbocharged diesel V6s, as well as a hybrid version built around the firm’s latest 2.0-liter Ingenium four-pot.

Photo Credits: CarPix for CarScoops

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