New halogen headlights look especially cool, with the high and low beams slightly overlapping in a diagonal downward direction, visible behind a clear wraparound lens. Between them is a revised black three-bar grille. The front bumper has been slightly deepened to include new fog lights, raised to reduce stone damage.

The taillights, turn signals and rear fog lamps have also been tweaked and slightly relocated, and there are new alloy wheel designs for each model.

With its trademark alpine windows and utilitarian styling, the Discovery has a definite distinction. Flat panels and straight lines give it a neat, no-nonsense look that's handsome and classy. Many of the body panels, including the rear doors and quarter panels, are aluminum, to reduce weight and avoid corrosion. Others, like the hood and roof, are galvanized steel.

The current Discovery has a wider stance and a more confident look than pre-1999 models, but its visual heritage still goes back through the original Discovery, all the way back to the first Land Rover of 1948. It is a look that suggests safaris, expeditions, and high adventure. Two new exterior colors for 2003 bring the total to nine.