If you love off-roading, adventures to distant corners of the planet and deep down inside imagine yourself as an action hero (yes, you can admit that), then the vehicle of your choice would have most likely been the Defender. Apart from having such a cool name (it wins in terms of car names in my book), the Defender has stood as the icon in the 4×4 SUV segment thanks to its rugged ability, go-anywhere attitude and exceptional reliability. Used for peace-keeping, allowing doctors to reach the far corners of the planet, ultimate land adventures and the likes, it has stood the test of time thanks to its proven track record. Now back in an all-new avatar, the new Land Rover Defender is touted to live up to the standards set by its predecessor for it is the toughest and most capable Land Rover ever made!
What Land Rover has to say about the Defender
Rohit Suri, President & Managing Director, Jaguar Land Rover India Ltd. (JLRIL) said, “So far, under Land Rover, we had the Discovery product pillar and Range Rover product pillar available in India. With this launch, the third product pillar, Defender, is now available. This, in many ways, completes the Land Rover brand story and we are very excited about expanding the reach and appeal of Land Rover amongst our customer base. The New Defender will make its place in the hearts of many people with a curious mind, love for authentic adventures, passion for travel and who dare & wish to go above and beyond in life. Such individuals transcend barriers of age, gender, profession, with their free spirited nature and fearlessness, just like the New Defender”.
Land Rover Defender – What you need to know
The new Defender carries a butch squared-off design that makes it stand apart from the rest of the Land Rover line up. Contemporary, stylish with a hint of retro tossed in for good measure, the Defender is a head turner that looks like it means business. Subtle bits have been carried over in terms of a design influence from it predecessor such as the minimal front and rear overhands, round headlights, side-hinged rear tailgate and externally mounted spare wheel. It also has a strong shoulder line and Alpine light windows like the original. With a ton of options to customize it, the new Defender comes with numerous colour options, 9 wheel designs and 2-wheel size options – 18-inch pressed steel and 20-inch alloys to be specific.
At its very core, the Defender was a rather practical vehicle and that hasn’t changed with the new one either. The cabin is plush and has innovative seat configurations to allow for extra loading space. Like its predecessor, the Defender is available in both 90 and 110 variants. In the 110 you get up to 2380 litres of luggage space with the 2nd row folded flat. The standard model uses textiles, while the higher spec versions use grained leather. Veneer choices include rough-cut walnut or natural smoked dark oak. Passenger space is a big plus with the Defender as is the level of creature comforts.
Powering the new Defender in India is a 2.0 litre turbo-charged petrol engine that develops 300 PS of power and 400 Nm of torque. The engine is known for its peppy nature and with that amount of torque, you can be sure to make it through the harshest of terrain easily, plus you have the configurable terrain response and terrain response 2 systems on board to enhance your ability to get through anything. Customers can personalise their off-road system preferences and tackle mud, snow and sand or go through a stream if they wish to! Add to that, you have an approach angle of 38 degrees, break over angle of 28 degrees and a departure angle of 40 degrees, plus water wading capability up to 900mm.
The Defender is touted to be surprisingly comfortable on-road as well and has been tweaked to deliver a great driving experience as you cruise along highways. Speaking of which, to keep you entertained, the Defender gets Land Rover’s new Pivi Pro infotainment system and supports software updates over the air. The Infotainment in the New Land Rover Defender includes a 25.4 cm (10) Touchscreen with Connected Navigation Pro and a 31.24 cm (12.3) high-definition Interactive Driver Display. It can be personalised to include a full-screen map, phone and media functionality. The vehicle also offers ClearSight Rear Mirror, which uses a live video feed to ensure that you always enjoy an unobstructed view & ClearSight Ground View which is available as a part of the 3D Surround Camera system. ClearSight Ground View allows you to effectively see ‘through’ Defender’s bonnet and displays multiple exterior views, including the vehicle’s underside and wheels. For comfort, the vehicle has an optional Meridian Surround Sound System (700 W), which includes 14 speakers and a dual channel subwoofer, heated and cooled seats and premium cabin lighting gives you 10 configurable options so you can match your surroundings to your mood, personality, or driving style.
Being the ultimate off-roader, the Defender comes with over 170 individual accessories and is available in four distinct accessory packs, namely the Explorer Pack, Adventure Pack, Country Pack and Urban Pack. You can choose what your style is!
Priced at INR 73.98 lakh for the 90 and INR 79.94 lakh for the 110, the deliveries for the Defender 110 have already started, while the 90 will commence in the first quarter of 2021.