New Defender lands at last
New generation of iconic British off-roader revealed as production moves East
THE wraps have finally come off the next generation of the icnonic Land Rover Defender. The new version of the 4x4 offroader was unveiled at the Frankfurt motor on Tuesday ending a threeand-a-half year wait since the last of the old Defenders rolled off the production line in Solihull.
It had been in continuous production in some form or other for 68 years.
Land Rover described the new model, designed in Warwickshire, as “an icon reimagined for the 21st century”. The car will be made for JLR in Slovakia.
There will eventually be a whole
Defender family of vehicles, but initially the launch model will be a 110 model, with a shorter wheelbase 90 following soon and then a longer 130 model.
The 110 model will cost from £45,000, with prices rising to £78,000.
Practical commercial models will also join the line-up in 2020.
Across seven decades of pioneering innovation, Land Rovers have earned a unique place in the hearts of explorers, humanitarian agencies and adventurous families across the world. Proven in the harshest environments on earth, the new Defender maintains this bloodline.
Land Rover said the Defender’s “distinctive silhouette” had been retained and it has minimal front and rear overhangs to provide excellent approach and departure angles for off-roading. Other features include Alpine light windows in the roof, the familiar side-hinged rear tailgate and externally-mounted spare wheel.
Land Rover’s chief design officer Gerry McGovern said: “The new Defender is respectful of its past but is not harnessed by it.
“This is a new Defender for a new age. Its unique personality is accentuated by its distinctive silhouette and optimum proportions, which make it both highly desirable and seriously capable – a visually compelling 4x4 that wears its design and engineering integrity with uncompromised commitment.” The new car has been through a rigorous testing programme to test its go-anywhere capabilities to the full.
Prototype models have covered more than 1.2 million kilometres across extreme environments, ranging from the 50-degree heat of the desert to the sub 40-degree cold of the Arctic.
Nick Rogers, executive director, product engineering, Jaguar Land Rover, said: “We’ve embraced Defender’s stunning capability and minimalistic, functional interior to reinvent the icon for the 21st century.
“New Defender gives us the licence to do things differently, to push the boundaries and do the unthinkable, without ever losing the character and authenticity of the original.
“From the start we had an absolute obsession with functionality beneath the skin, from choosing the right materials through to state of the art connectivity.
“The result is not only the most capable Land Rover ever made, but also a truly comfortable, modern vehicle that people will love to drive.”