The coil suspension set-up of our tester feels ‘expensive’ with traceable Range Rover DNA
Today, we hope to do the same (despite mixed reliability reports from owners continuing to curse Jaguar Land Rover). Our vehicle is a Defender 90 S P300 – 90 denoting the shorter wheelbase and two doors; the 300 a nice, round horsepower. Only a decade or two ago, 221kW/400Nm was hold-on-to-your-head-gasket territory for a turbo 2.0-litre four-cylinder. The original 1948 Land Rover also had a petrol inline-4, except its one made about 41kW. The new engine is a modular unit called the Ingenium AJ200, used widely across the JLR range. In the Defender, it’s stuffed north-south within a modified version of Land Rover’s ubiquitous, aluminium-rich D7 platform underpinning other vehicles like the already mentioned Discovery, but also Velar, F-Pace, Range Rover and Range Rover Sport. For Defender, Land Rover calls it D7x. Even before you’re in the presence of the car itself, there’s no getting around the fact the new Defender seems a reimagining for the ever-burgeoning new-age crowd who want people to think they’re planning a trip to the Great Sandy, but would be nervous to find themselves on a dirt road. Certainly, current trends would dictate a solid business case for a retro-styled, short-wheelbase, two-door SUV, from a brand with an increasingly luxury positioning. As such, the criticism – which could all have been avoided if they just gave the car a different name – has come thick and fast. The 18-inch wheels permit larger brakes – and in turn a 3.5-tonne braked towing capacity, as good as any dualcab ute – but try finding 18-inch tyres in rural Mongolia. But the new Defender, argues Land Rover, isn’t a Discovery in drag. Its rear payload of 670kg is almost what you’d be proud to fit into the back of a sagging, leaf-sprung old ute; as is its rooftop carrying capacity of 118kg. This effectively increases the range – important when venturing into the far yonder – as you can pack in more jerry cans. True, too, that the new Defender has some of the best approach and departure angles of any off-roader. And starting at ‘just’ $75K, the new Defender isn’t a total pricing gouge, keeping, admittedly loosely, to the original 1940s principle of affordability. From the outside, our tester looks the goods to my eyes at least, particularly on those throwback, white 18-inch steel wheels (there are plenty of 18-inch tyres in inner-city Melbourne). The raised ride height, slab-styled front and rear ends, tiny overhangs and square wheelarches give it an almost toy-like appearance. And there are numerous exterior details to drink in – from the 3D-styled tail-lights to the power bulge on the bonnet, the (plastic) chequer-plate trims, the roof that almost looks chopped and the funky, shortarmed wipers. Not since the original Evoke has there been a JLR product so concept-car-for-the-road. The thoughtful design continues inside. While we didn’t hose it out – although the rubber floors invited as much – Land Rover has achieved a delightful utilitarian feel familiar from the ‘old’ Defender but with a high-tech, luxury touch. From the driver’s seat, which is quite an effort to get