Ah, this'll be the work of SVO.

Indeed it is; say hello to the 2018 Land Rover Discovery SVX, designed to be the ultimate off-roading version of an otherwise very sensible family-oriented SUV. As the name suggests, it comes from the same SVO division as the Range Rover Sport SVR and the SVAutobiography, and we expect it to be applied to a few other Land Rover products in time.

Is it just some special tyres and a lick of paint?

It might appear so at first glance, but there's plenty going on under that anti-glare bonnet and behind the chunky new bumpers. First, the engine: it's only a big 5.0-litre petrol V8, making 525hp and 624Nm of torque (thanks to supercharging). To that is bolted an eight-speed auto with twin-speed transfer box (recalibrated for duty in the SVX), which in turn feeds the torque to an active centre differential. At the back is an electronically controlled locking differential, too, and all the electronic sub-systems have been retuned for serious all-terrain work.

And there's more. The Discovery SVX gets air suspension, long-travel dampers, revised knuckles and Hydraulic Active Roll Control, which is claimed to increase wheel articulation for extreme off-road traction, while simultaneously improving body control on the road.

So this is a production car?

Well, the Frankfurt Motor Show vehicle is billed as a 'preview', but Land Rover has confirmed that the SVX will be hand-assembled at its SVO Technical Centre from 2018 and invites those that are interested to let them know. No pricing as yet, but 'a lot' is probably a good estimate...

Anything else of note?

Land Rover is also using the Frankfurt event to announce the addition of a 2.0-litre petrol option for the Discovery. It makes 300hp and 400Nm of torque. On top of that is the introduction of its 'Interactive Driver Display', a customisable 12.3-inch TFT screen that replaces the traditional analogue instruments. It'll be standard on the HSE and HSE Luxury models to begin with.

Shane O' Donoghue - 12 Sep 2017