The Discovery Series I was conspicuously presented during the 1989 Frankfurt Motor Show, and introduced to market in the United Kingdom in October that year, after the vehicle had been developed under the internal code-name "Project Jay".
The new model was strongly based on the more upmarket Range Rover, using the same chassis, suspension and 4WD-system, and a derivative body design – especially the four-door copied much of the more expensive Range Rover's body structure.
However, with smaller engines available, just two side doors at introduction, and other cost-reductions, the new Discovery was priced more affordably, for a larger, more middle-class market segment, intended to counter the Japanese competition at the time.
The Discovery was Land Rover's first model, that was positioned as a family car, designed to be both fully off-road capable, and suitable as a daily driver for any family, even offering more luggage space, and optionally more seats than the Range Rover.
The mk.
I Discovery remains the only model offered as a three-door, and was the only one available with a four-cylinder petrol engine until 2017.

At launch, the Discovery was only available as a three-door model, but the five-door version followed the next year, in 1990.
Both were fitted with five seats, with the option to have two jump seats fitted in the boot.
Compared to the Range Rover, the Discovery was given a slightly longer rear, which was further extended on the series II.
In order to make room for optional third row jump seats, the spare wheel had to move to the outside of the car, fitted to a side-swinging rear door, instead of the Range Rover's split tailgate.
The roof of the rear section of the car was raised, to create sufficient headroom in the third row.
Combined with a safari side window cluster, this gave the Discovery its own distinct look and profile.

Land Rover employed an external consultancy, Conran Design Group, to design the interior.
They were instructed to ignore current car interior design and position the vehicle as a 'lifestyle accessory'.
Their interior incorporated a number of original features, although some ideas shown on the original interior mock-ups (constructed inside a Range Rover bodyshell at Conran's workshops) were left on the shelf, such as a custom sunglasses holder built into the centre of the steering wheel.
The design was unveiled to critical acclaim, and won a British Design Award in 1989.

The original transmission was a dual-ratio five-speed manual with drive via a transfer case with a lockable centre differential.

Initially – and regardless of exterior color choice – much of the interior in all Discovery's was trimmed in light 'Sonar Blue' upholstery and plastic, with magazine holders above the windscreen, hand-holds for rear passengers incorporated into the head restraints of the front seats, remote radio controls on the instrument cluster, twin removable sunroof panels (including a special zip-up storage bag behind the rear seats) and a Land Rover-branded cloth fabric holdall in the front centre console for oddments storage that could be removed from the vehicle and worn as a handbag using a supplied shoulder strap (relatively few of these bags have survived, making them collectable items).
 However, most of all of the interior and dashboard components came either from the Range Rover or from other Rover Group cars - for example the switchgear and instrument pod were from the Maestro and Montego; the digital clock from the Metro, the dashboard air vents were from the Rover 800 and the heater/air conditioning control panel was from the Range Rover.
 Similarly, the Discovery utilised several Range Rover body panels - most notably the door shells and window frames, but with different aluminium skin panels, retaining the distinctive Morris Marina door handles.
  Other standard parts used were the headlights from the Freight Rover van and tail lights from the Austin Maestro van.
The latter would continue to bear the Austin Rover 'chevron' logo on their lenses until production of the first generation Discov
The Discovery Series I was conspicuously presented during the 1989 Frankfurt Motor Show, and introduced to market in the United Kingdom in October that year, after the vehicle had been developed under the internal code-name "Project Jay". The new model was strongly based on the more upmarket Range Rover, using the same chassis, suspension and 4WD-system, and a derivative body design – especially the four-door copied much of the more expensive Range Rover's body structure. However, with smaller engines available, just two side doors at introduction, and other cost-reductions, the new Discovery was priced more affordably, for a larger, more middle-class market segment, intended to counter the Japanese competition at the time. The Discovery was Land Rover's first model, that was positioned as a family car, designed to be both fully off-road capable, and suitable as a daily driver for any family, even offering more luggage space, and optionally more seats than the Range Rover. The mk. I Discovery remains the only model offered as a three-door, and was the only one available with a four-cylinder petrol engine until 2017.
At launch, the Discovery was only available as a three-door model, but the five-door version followed the next year, in 1990. Both were fitted with five seats, with the option to have two jump seats fitted in the boot. Compared to the Range Rover, the Discovery was given a slightly longer rear, which was further extended on the series II. In order to make room for optional third row jump seats, the spare wheel had to move to the outside of the car, fitted to a side-swinging rear door, instead of the Range Rover's split tailgate. The roof of the rear section of the car was raised, to create sufficient headroom in the third row. Combined with a safari side window cluster, this gave the Discovery its own distinct look and profile.
Land Rover employed an external consultancy, Conran Design Group, to design the interior. They were instructed to ignore current car interior design and position the vehicle as a 'lifestyle accessory'. Their interior incorporated a number of original features, although some ideas shown on the original interior mock-ups (constructed inside a Range Rover bodyshell at Conran's workshops) were left on the shelf, such as a custom sunglasses holder built into the centre of the steering wheel. The design was unveiled to critical acclaim, and won a British Design Award in 1989.
The original transmission was a dual-ratio five-speed manual with drive via a transfer case with a lockable centre differential.
Initially – and regardless of exterior color choice – much of the interior in all Discovery's was trimmed in light 'Sonar Blue' upholstery and plastic, with magazine holders above the windscreen, hand-holds for rear passengers incorporated into the head restraints of the front seats, remote radio controls on the instrument cluster, twin removable sunroof panels (including a special zip-up storage bag behind the rear seats) and a Land Rover-branded cloth fabric holdall in the front centre console for oddments storage that could be removed from the vehicle and worn as a handbag using a supplied shoulder strap (relatively few of these bags have survived, making them collectable items).  However, most of all of the interior and dashboard components came either from the Range Rover or from other Rover Group cars - for example the switchgear and instrument pod were from the Maestro and Montego; the digital clock from the Metro, the dashboard air vents were from the Rover 800 and the heater/air conditioning control panel was from the Range Rover.  Similarly, the Discovery utilised several Range Rover body panels - most notably the door shells and window frames, but with different aluminium skin panels, retaining the distinctive Morris Marina door handles.   Other standard parts used were the headlights from the Freight Rover van and tail lights from the Austin Maestro van. The latter would continue to bear the Austin Rover 'chevron' logo on their lenses until production of the first generation Discov
Land Rover Discovery