2021 Land Rover Discovery Spied, Could Adopt A Mild-Hybrid Powertrain

The Land Rover Discovery is reaching middle age, so the company is preparing a facelift for the SUV.

Caught undergoing testing near the Nürburgring, this prototype looks fairly unremarkable as the body panels appear to carryover from the current model. The same can also be said for the wheels and lighting units.

Of course, that will likely change for production as we’re expecting a minor facelift that will likely include new bumpers. There could also be a revised grille as well as updated head- and taillights.

Also Read: 2021 Land Rover Discovery Coming With Updated Looks Which We Can’t Yet See

Bigger changes could occur in the cabin as Discovery might adopt the Touch Pro Duo system used in the Range Rover, Range Rover Sport and Range Rover Velar. It features a touchscreen infotainment system as well as a secondary touchscreen display for climate controls and vehicle settings.

There could also be a digital instrument cluster, an ambient lighting system and new switchgear. Unfortunately, it’s hard to know for certain until we get a better look inside.

Land Rover has been tight-lipped about the upcoming model, but previous reports have suggested it could adopt a 48 volt mild-hybrid system and possibly even a plug-in hybrid variant. In regards to the mild-hybrid, the Discovery could use the same powertrain as the Range Rover Sport.

It features a supercharged and turbocharged 3.0-liter six-cylinder engine as well as an enhanced start/stop system which can keep the engine shut off for longer periods of time. In the US-spec model, the powertrain has outputs of 355 hp (265 kW / 360 PS) and 365 lb-ft (495 Nm) of torque as well as 395 hp (295 kW / 400 PS) and 406 lb-ft (550 Nm) of torque.

It remains unclear when the facelifted Discovery will be introduced, but it could be a while as this appears to be an early prototype.