Discovery set for brand revamp ahead of first EV to stand apart from Defender, Range Rover

Jaguar Land Rover’s Discovery brand is getting a new look as it prepares to launch its first all-electric vehicle. The Discovery EV will be unique as it looks to differentiate from Defender and Range Rover models. It may even include a Volkswagen ID.Buzz-like design.

Last summer, JLR announced a major shift, breaking the Range Rover, Defender, Discovery, and Jaguar names into four distinct sub-brands.

Although initial plans included launching six new EV models across the brands by 2026, two were pushed back earlier this year.

Range Rover has been teasing its first EV ahead of its official debut later this year. The Range Rover Electric has already secured over 42,000 reservations as the brand promises unrivaled luxury and capability.

After a smaller Range Rover Sport Electric, JLR is expected to introduce the first Discovery brand EV.

Although Discovery accounts for just 4% of total sales, JLR is committed to reviving the brand. The revamp will focus on “family adventures,” Mark Cameron, Discovery and Defender brand managing director, told Autocar.

Discovery will get a brand revamp ahead of its first EV

Cameron stressed Discovery needs to stand apart from Defender, which attracts a similar market. However, the Defender brand sold six times more than Discovery last year, topping 110,000.

“If you look from a product perspective, Defender came in and sat quite squarely on top of Discovery and cannibalised a lot of that business,” Cameron explained.

The current Discovery has been on the market since 2017, making it the oldest in JLR’s lineup. It’s also the slowest-selling, with only 16,750 units sold last year.

Discovery will move into a new segment to differentiate itself. As Autocar notes, Discovery could adopt a Volkswagen ID.Buzz-like design with MPV elements.

“Recreating what Discovery stands for, we absolutely have to make sure it sits in a really unique territory,” Cameron said. He added that standing apart will revive the brand, as all JRL brands currently compete against one another.

The Discovery EV will likely be built on the company’s MLA platform, which underpins the current Range Rover and upcoming electric model.

With Range Rover promising its first EV will be a “true Range Rover” with top-notch capability and luxury, you can expect the same from Discovery.

JLR’s Special Vehicle Operations (SVO) team is developing the Discovery brand’s new flagship model. The specialists are behind some of its iconic models, like the Defender Octa and Range Rover SV.

SVO boss Jamal Hameedi told Autocar the Discover model will be positioned with “its own special interpretation of what flagship means.” With a clean-sheet approach, “we can do whatever we want,” Hameedi explained.