Bear Grylls tests new Land Rover Discovery’s Intelligent Seat Fold technology, from the air

Land Rover has completed a unique remote test of the Intelligent Seat Fold technology in its 2017 Discovery 5, which is set to make its official debut just ahead of its first public showing at the Paris Motor Show.

British adventurer – and well-known Land Rover owner – Bear Grylls took to the skies to put the new Disco’s tech to trial. The system allows vehicle owners to configure their vehicle seating through the InControl Remote Premium app on their smartphone from anywhere in the world, and in this case, the chosen path was from mid-air.

Grylls jumped from a plane with six members of the British Royal Navy Parachute Display Team, and freefalling at 200 km/h, was able to change the vehicle’s seating layout at the touch of a button on his smartphone before he had to deploy his parachute.

The world-first Intelligent Seat Fold technology allows the two rear rows of seats to be fully reconfigured in as as little as 14 seconds via the dedicated app, which can be downloaded on any iOS or Android operating system.

Seat folding on the new Disco can be activated in four different ways, including the remote function tried and tested by Grylls. Switches within the luggage area and on the C-pillar allow the seats to be moved or folded while next to the vehicle. Row two and three seats can also be raised and lowered using the main touchscreen display on the dashboard.

It’s not the only cool tech on call – the Discovery is set to feature a laser-scanning feature that allows the car to read the terrain ahead and adjust the vehicle’s suspension to suit it. Other fancy items include the invisible bonnet,” which should prove useful when driving off-road.

The Disco 5 will sit on the automaker’s Premium Lightweight Architecture (PLA), which also underpins the Range Rover and Range Rover Sport. The platform features heavy use of aluminium in its construction, and should make the next-generation Discovery lighter than before.

GALLERY: 2017 Land Rover Discovery 5 spyshots

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