Erin Baker – meet the brand new Land Rover Discovery

But, having sat through the technical briefing on this fifth generation of the seven-seat SUV, I am now amazed by this car, which is essentially a new vehicle from Land Rover, and one which showcases a breath-taking amount of new connectivity, family-friendly detailing and off-reading technology. It may well be the least cynical, most helpful car ever invented.

Working from the little details up, because the big details matter less: the Isofix mountings are now easily reachable because smart little flaps lift up to reveal them clearly. The air suspension lowers by 60mm so dogs can clamber into the boot more easily. It also lowers by 13mm on the move to lower drag and get a better CO₂ emissions figure from the tailpipe, and raises by 240mm so you can hitch your trailer more easily.

The fascia panel housing the ventilation controls flips to reveal one of 27 storage spaces. There's a wearable, "activity key", waterproof to 50m; essentially it's a rubber wrist band that unlocks the car when you touch it against the D of Discovery, meaning you can leave your keys in the car and go for a run or swim. Unless you do those things, that sounds like a bit of a gimmick, but believe me, if you run regularly, as so much of the country now does, that's invaluable.

Land Rover has also paid a lot of attention to kids this time round, knowing that they can make or break the purchasing decision. There are nine USB points, including two in the third row of seats, so all the kids can plug in their devices and tune out.

In fact, so connected is this car, Land Rover had termed it the "Digital Discovery". "From hardware to software, from cogs to code" said a senior executive at launch. It has a wifi hotspot, connection for eight devices simultaneously and 60GB of storage. You can wirelessly transmit from phone to car, meaning you can programme the satnav from your home or office, and when you get in, the car will give you a street view of your destination.

New finishes include a wood veneer that has such an open-pore grain that it feels like a piece of solid tree in the car – very Disco. There are new paint finishes that have a very deep 3D sparkle, and new leather stitching. There are also 30 per cent fewer buttons for a cleaner finish.

And if you're an off-road novice but fancy some of the rough stuff, as well as the usual comprehensive off-road settings, just select "auto" and the car will figure it all out for you.

Wading depth has increased, as has visibility and various ascent and descent angles, making this Land Rover's most available car yet.

And a very light monocoque construction means a 2.0-litre four-pot diesel is now possible, alongside the 3.0-litre V6 diesel and petrol units.

Finally, that split tailgate has gone, replaced by a single piece of metal, which has raised eyebrows. However, the old one was expensive, had sealing problems, and the new tailgate produces a flap that folds down as the tailgate rises, for passengers to sit on. It can also remain upright, to help keep your shopping in place. The step roof remains to enable stadium seating, but has been dialled down in the design, and the front resembles the rest of the range now, with softer corners and a more bulbous nose.

Altogether, the Disco feels simultaneously like a huge step change in Land Rover's luxury aspirations, while maintaining its place as a thoroughly capable off-roader. What a trick to pull off.