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Land Rover is launching a commercial version of the new Discovery, promising off-road prowess with serious load-lugging capacity. With the two rear rows of seats of the passenger version removed, the Discovery van has an impressive 1,865 litres of potential load space, and retains the passenger version's maximum 3.5-tonne towing weight.
It'll be available with either the 240hp four-cylinder twin-turbo diesel Ingenium engine, or the 258hp 3.0-litre V6 turbodiesel, although Irish specifications are yet to be decided.
UK-spec cars will get a standard-fit automatic gearbox and air suspension. The Discovery Commercial's load-space measures 1,635mm long, 939mm high and 1,411mm wide. The boot aperture is large enough to accept loads measuring up to 1,000mm x 735mm.
Interestingly, at the back, Land Rover has kept privacy glass panels on the outside of the blanked-off body panels, so that the Discovery Commercial doesn't look like a van from the outside.
InControl Touch Pro, cruise control and speed limiter, Autonomous Emergency Braking, Lane Departure Warning, heated windscreen and rear window, heated door mirrors, DAB radio, InControl Protect, Tyre Pressure Monitoring system, Hill Launch Assist, Dynamic Stability Control, Roll Stability Control, Cornering Brake Control, Gradient Acceleration Control, Hill Descent Control and Trailer Stability Assist and a powered tailgate all come as standard, but again that's the UK specification so it might change here.
As a little publicity stunt, Land Rover has teamed up with Bloom & Wild, experts in packaging and delivering fresh flowers. The first new Discovery Commercial has been dressed up in that firm's colours, and hauled an impressive 300 mini Christmas trees from The Netherlands to the UK this week.
Jaguar Land Rover UK Managing Director, Jeremy Hicks, said: "Discovery Commercial has always been a key part of the Discovery line-up since the Discovery 1, but the latest version brings new levels of practicality, versatility and premium levels of comfort that showcase the vehicle's hard-working DNA."