ALL-NEW DISCOVERY OBJECT
ALL-NEW DISCOVERY OBJECT 07: KIDS TOYS “One of the many things people love about the outgoing Discovery,” says Andy Wheel, “is that there’s a place for everything in the cabin no matter what it is, and regardless of whether you want to secure it when you’re off-roading or keep it out of sight when you’re parked in the city. That’s a very ‘Discovery’ value. We worked hard to enhance it, and we decided to give it the toughest real-world test we could possibily think of.” The All-New Discovery has been tested everywhere from the frozen Arctic to the scorching desert heat of Arizona, but for Andy the real moment of truth came in the design studio in Warwickshire, and at the hands of children. “One of my colleagues brought in her boys, armed with all the different stuff they’d take with them if they were about to go on a long car journey. We have a full-size mock-up of the cabin in the design studio, and we watched as they climbed in and found places for their books, their toys, their iPads.” Did it work? “Let’s say it was a smiles-all-round moment,” says Andy. As with the other extreme tests it was put through, the new Discovery was probably over-prepared. In row 1 only, stowage has increased from 29.1Litres to 37.5Litres, and the main central armrest stowage box has doubled in size and can hold five mini iPads. There’s an ingenious, useful 1.7-litre cubby hidden behind the air conditioning controls in the fascia (the kids found it) and up to 15 power outlets in the cabin, including USB ports in all three rows. But it’s not all about children and their kit. A much-loved feature from the original Discovery makes a welcome reappearance on this new one: the ‘curry hook’ in the passenger footwell, designed to keep a shopping bag or a takeaway meal safely upright. It’s sure to be appreciated by tired parents giving themselves the night off. 50
51
