Land Rover has launched its new Discovery premium SUV at Rs 71.38 lakh (ex-showroom, India). The seven-seater SUV will be available in five variants and with petrol and diesel engine options, with the range-topping First Edition diesel trim costing over Rs 1 crore.

The Discovery gets a 3.0-litre turbo-petrol V6 engine that develops 340hp and 450Nm of torque, and a 3.0-litre V6 diesel that produces 258hp and 600Nm of twisting force. Both engines send power to all four wheels via an eight-speed auto gearbox.

Typical for a Land Rover, the seven-seater SUV boasts significant off-road ability, including a wading depth of 900mm.

The premium luxury SUV comes with a long list of goodies including the InControl infotainment system with a 10-inch display paired to a six-speaker audio system, two sunroofs, parallel-park assist, a heads-up display, a 360-degree camera and the optional Terrain Response 2 system. The higher-spec HSE trim is equipped with InControl TouchPro infotainment system, heated seats, up to nine USB ports, four 12V charging points, an in-car 3G Wi-Fi hotspot and a 17-speaker Meridian audio system.

Speaking at the launch of the fifth-generation Discovery, Rohit Suri, president and MD, Jaguar Land Rover India, said: “The all-new seven-seat Discovery distinguishes itself from most of its competition on its design appeal, intelligent versatility, enabling technology and a host of capability related features. It is a perfect vehicle for people who love to explore and experience new places and terrains and enjoy an outdoor lifestyle with friends and family.”

The company has been quite keen on pushing sales of petrol-powered models in our market, and the pricing of the Discovery's petrol variants is a good indicator of this. The base petrol S trim is cheaper by more than Rs 10 lakh, while the top-end 'First Edition' is cheaper by nearly Rs 20 lakh.  

In the Indian market, the Land Rover Discovery competes against the Audi Q7, BMW X5 and the Mercedes-Benz GLE.

Land Rover is also readying its brand-new Velar SUV for an India launch, which is expected to happen soon.