Land Rover Discovery 5 could lose half a tonne

The next-generation Land Rover Discovery 4WD could lose nearly half a tonne in weight, according to a company insider.

The new ‘Disco’ is due in 2014 and will be third model to be constructed from aluminium following the just-unveiled fourth-generation Range Rover and the Range Rover Sport that will be released in 2013.

Land Rover engineers managed to reduce the new Range Rover’s mass by a stunning 420kg for the entry-level TDV6 model.

Yet as remarkable as that figure is, a Land Rover source told CarAdvice at the recent Range Rover unveiling event in England that number is set to be beaten by the fifth-generation Discovery.

“The Disco 4 already weighs 2.7 tonnes so it’s got more to lose [than the Range Rover], so we think it will lose more weight [than the 420kg],” our insider revealed.

The last two generations of the vehicle have been badged Discover 3 and Discovery 4, but our source says the next version could possibly revert to simply ‘Discovery’ rather than being called Discovery 5.

There will also be a 2013 model year update for the current Discovery in early 2013, though changes will be mild – with no exterior styling revisions and a key mechanical change in the form of a new eight-speed ZF automatic transmission for the range.

The 2013 Range Rover reaches Australia in January, priced from $168,900.

The two Range Rovers – including the Sport – and the Discovery will be built at Land Rover’s Solihull, England, aluminium body shop the company says is the largest in the world.

Land Rover has invested A$573 million in the facility that will be able to produce up to 100,000 units per year.