ROYAL SEAL OF APPROVAL
New hybrid Land Rover Defender is just as practical as ever and fit for any queen or king
The Land Rover Defender was the Queen’s favourite car and she was often pictured in it driving around Balmoral.
It was exactly the sort of car to appeal to a true countrywoman – sturdy, dependable, practical and great for carting around children and dogs.
The new Land Rover Defender carries on this proud tradition with a hybrid powertrain to boot.
This makes it the smoothest, quietest and probably the most economical of the Land Rover fleet, a car with all the capability of its predecessor but with the prowess and comfor t expected of a 21st-century vehicle.
An EV button sits just below the central console along with all the other features of this plug-in hybrid X-Dynamic S model, like downhill descent control, wading and low-gear ratio selection. The button just adds to the versatility of this reworking of the Defender.
The default mode is hybrid, where the car chooses how to employ the electric charge from the 19.2kWh battery pack driving the 105kW electric motor. This is paired with a turbo-charged 2.0-litre petrol engine delivering together 404hp.
But you can also choose to save the electric charge for town driving, for example, when it will cut down on emissions being pumped into the environment or instruct the car to use electric mode only. This will give you an electric range of 27 miles.
And range, of course, takes us to charging. With a 7kW home wallbox, the electric battery on this car will charge to 80 per cent in just over two hours – or seven hours on a three-pin domestic socket.
Find a 50kW charger and you should manage the job in just half an hour.
The car looks no different from the rest of the Defender range. The only telltale sign that it is an electrified vehicle is the battery f lap on the opposite side of the rear wing from the petrol flap.
The drive is smooth, even and powerful. Put your foot down and the Defender makes ful l use of the petrol and electric engines combined to take you rapidly to your destination.
It is responsive, wel l balanced and comes, of course, with all-wheel drive for even better traction.
Inside, the ride height is commanding and feels safe as well as incredibly comfortable.
The back seat has loads of room for rear passengers.
The version I was driving came with a panoramic roof, a very practical boot liner and a sport mode.
The outside is not as boxy as the original but still retains features fans will love, like the side- opening rear door and the iconic spare wheel attached to it, which my husband managed to reverse into. Result?
Absolutely no damage to the Defender but my husband has lost a taillight.
The conclusion is that, despite the wonders designer Gerry McGovern has wrought on the new Defender, it still remains very much the tough and versatile car the Queen came to love.