Land Rover’s all-new Defender
This, Ladies & Gentlemen, is the new Land Rover Defender.
The unmistakable silhouette is familiar yet new, with minimal front and rear overhangs providing excellent approach and departure angles, a purposeful upright stance, and side- hinged rear tailgate complete with externally-mounted spare wheel just like the original.
Two models – a SWB 90 and LWB 110 – are available with the stripped- back personality of the original Defender embraced inside and out.
Innovative features, for example, include a dashmounted gear shifter to accommodate an optional central front ‘ jump’ seat, which provides for three-a-breast seating across the front a la early Land Rovers.
The long-awaited ‘ new’ Defender is built around
Land Rover’s new purpose-engineered D7x ( for extreme) architecture, and is based on a lightweight aluminium monocoque construction which is three times stiffer than traditional body- onframe designs, providing perfect foundations for the fully independent air or coilsprung suspension as well as supporting the latest electrified powertrains.
Permanent all- wheel drive and a t win-speed automatic gearbox, centre differential and optional Active Locking Rear Differential form the basis of a traction system which can be further refined by a new Configurable Terrain Response package.
A choice of advanced petrol and cleaner diesel engines ensure new Defender has the power, control and efficiency for any environment, while a Plug- in Hybrid Electric Vehicle ( PHEV) powertrain will join the range next year providing the prospect of silent EV- only progress.
Jaguar Land Rover NZ general manager Steve Kenchington says they expect strong support for the next evolution of the Defender in this market.
Pricing and delivery timing will be announced in the coming weeks.