The new Land Rover Discovery Vision concept will mark the debut of Land Rover’s radical ‘see-through bonnet’, which uses augmented reality technology to give the driver a view of what is underneath and in front of the car. This innovation could make driving off road easier because the driver can not only see the terrain ahead but can also track the position of the front wheels.

 

The key is a new type of ‘smart’ windscreen, which can display a full-width computer-generated image, delivered by cameras mounted in the car’s grille. This is a big leap from today’s heads-up displays, which are restricted to a tiny portion of the driver’s field of view. 

 

Wolfgang Epple, director of R&D at Jaguar Land Rover, said the transparent bonnet would also be highly useful in urban conditions.

 

Land Rover's Discovery Vision concept will preview the firm's new family of Discovery vehicles, which are due to arrive in 2015. The new family, described as a collection of "premium leisure SUVS", will feature a bold new design first seen in production form on the replacement for the current Freelander.