New Land Rover Defender revealed finally
Re-engineering an off-road icon is a monster task, writes Iain Robertson, who feels that sometimes the pictures can tell a better story that scarcely needs further embroidery, although pertinent details of Land Rover’s newcomer will not go amiss.
Redolent of its past, the new Defender is available in both 110 and (later) 90 wheelbase forms. The all-new model weighs-in with similarly innovative levels of connectivity, multi-media infotainment and (initially) mild hybrid engine technology, with plug-in hybrid due later. Its new ‘saddlebag’ exterior storage and much-revised Terrain Response 2 off-road capabilities confirm a well-defined multi-surface competence. Prices (110) start at around £45,240, rising to over £78,000, with commercial and shorter wheelbase 90 models expected to start at around £40,000.
The company’s design boss, Gerry McGovern, has created a truly distinctive silhouette for the new Defender, a factor that is vital to making it immediately recognisable. Minimal front and rear overhangs are essential to providing beneficial approach and departure angles in an off-road environment. Possessing a purposeful, more upright stance than other Land Rover products, a number of relevant styling elements, like the window apertures in the roof and the side-hinged rear tailgate, with its outside-mounted spare wheel, ensure that historical aspects are reflected in the new car.
The stripped-back personality of the original Defender has been embraced within the cabin, where structural elements and screw-heads, usually hidden from view, have been exposed, with an emphasis on simplicity and practicality. Innovative features include a dash-mounted gear shifter to accommodate an optional central front ‘jump’ seat, which provides three-abreast seating across the cabin’s front row, much like early Land Rovers. Fortunately, this also resolves one of the biggest bugbears of the older vehicles; zero legroom for those of taller build.
Consequently, the Defender 110 offers five, six or 5+2 seating arrangements, with a load area behind the second-row seats of up to 1,075-litres capacity, extending to as much as 2,380-litres, when the second row is folded flat. The 90, when it appears, will be able to accommodate six occupants in a vehicle the length of a compact family hatchback, also a feature of the older versions.
User-friendly aspects include practical details and advanced technological innovations. Durable rubberised flooring shrugs off the spills of daily activities and (for the really adventurous) those once-in-a-lifetime expeditions, demanding a brush and hose to clean the interior. An optional folding fabric top provides open-air feel and allows passengers in the second-row seats of the 110 to stand up, when parked, to provide the full on-safari experience.
Land Rover’s new purpose engineered ‘D7x’ (for extreme) architecture is 95% new and based on a lightweight aluminium monocoque construction to create the stiffest body structure that Land Rover has ever produced. It is three times more rigid than traditional body-on-chassis designs, providing perfect foundations for the fully independent air, or coil sprung suspension and supports the latest electrified powertrains. Being produced of light alloy, apart from weight benefits, the age-old issues related to chassis rot are also eradicated.
The new Defender has been through more than 62,000 tests prior to receiving engineering sign-off, while the chassis and body architecture have been engineered to withstand Land Rover’s Extreme Event Test procedure, which features repeated and sustained impacts, above and beyond the normal standard for SUV and passenger cars. During development testing, prototype models have covered more than 1.2m kilometres across some of the harshest environments on earth, ranging from the 50-degree heat of the desert and sub 40-degree cold of the Arctic, to altitudes of 10,000ft in the Rocky Mountains, in Colorado.
At launch, the petrol engine line-up consists of a four-cylinder P300 unit and the punchier six-cylinder P400 engine that is featuring in other JLR products. They feature mild hybrid technology, which means ‘stop:start’ and minor power boosts from the battery pack. However, industrial and agricultural customers can choose from a pair of four-cylinder diesels, the D200 and more powerful D240, both of which deliver fuel economy figures of 37.2mpg allied to CO2 emissions of 199g/km (NEDC equivalent).
The model range comprises Defender, S, SE, HSE, First Edition and top of the range Defender X variants and customers will be able to personalise their vehicle in more ways than for any previous Land Rover with four Accessory Packs. They start with Explorer, then Adventure, Country and Urban Packs, each giving Defender a distinctive character, with a specially selected range of enhancements. The strictly limited ‘First Edition’ model features an unique specification and will be available throughout the first model year of production.
Customers will even be able to opt for a new satin protective film wrap, to make the exterior paintwork even more durable. The sustainable, solvent-free and completely recyclable material helps protect against everything from car park scratches to bramble rash and will be available as a factory-fit option with Indus Silver, Gondwana Stone and Pangea Green colours, providing a most contemporary finish, as it protects the new Defender’s paintwork.
The pricing for the new Defender is where I anticipated it would be. Yet, I feel that Land Rover is missing a trick here. A truly base model designed primarily for work purposes could and should be created for around £25k. I would urge Land Rover to consider that prospect, just as I would recommend to Suzuki that it should introduce a similar low-end Jimny model to pick up on business opportunities that Land Rover will never get again. Land Rover has been criticised heavily for deserting the serious off-road scene for so long. However, the all-new Defender suggests that the time away has been well-spent in creating a good looking and hugely capable Land Rover for a new era.
