Jaguar Land Rover reveals an updated version of the Land Rover Defender, the iconic 4×4 vehicle.
British motoring giants Jaguar Land Rover gave drivers something to smile about when they recently announced a revamped Land Rover Defender.
The lightweight all-aluminium monocoque construction of the new D7x architecture delivers the stiffest Land Rover body ever created, with a torsional rigidity of 30kNm/Degree–making it three times more rigid than traditional body-on-frame designs.
Controlled efficiency
These powerful foundations provide the ideal basis for the all-independent suspension, twin-speed transfer box and permanent all-wheel drive. A choice of advanced petrol and cleaner diesel engines ensure new Defender has the power, control and efficiency for any environment it encounters.
Gerry McGovern, Chief Design Officer of Land Rover 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 4×4 that wears its design and engineering integrity with uncompromised commitment.”
Simple practicality
The stripped-back personality of the original Defender has been embraced inside, where structural elements and fixings usually hidden from view have been exposed, with the emphasis on simplicity and practicality. Innovative features include a dash-mounted gear shifter to accommodate an optional central front ‘jump’ seat, which provides three-abreast seating across the front like early Land Rovers.
As a result, the Defender 110 model offers five, six or 5+2 seating configurations, with a loadspace behind the second-row seats of up to 1,075 litres, and as much as 2,380 litres when the second row is folded. The Defender 90 model will be able to accommodate six occupants in a vehicle the length of a compact family hatchback.
“Impeccably handsome”
Practicality is a hallmark of Land Rover interior design and the new Defender comes with an abundance of storage opportunities, including a choice of high and low centre consoles. The durable constructivist theme is consistent throughout the interior with visible fixings that retain the structural door casings while partially exposing the painted doors.
Alan Sheppard, Director of Interior Design at Land Rover, commented that, “Within, we strived to harness Defender’s profound spirit of boundless adventure. A comfortable interior which is at once impeccably handsome for the discerning, shrewd in functionality and prudently qualified in anticipation of any adversity.”
While on the outside, every detail of the exterior design has been creatively developed to re-enforce Defender’s DNA: sophisticated, durable and extremely tough — a vehicle design unlike any other.
Modernist design
Massimo Frascella, Creative Director at Land Rover Design, said: “For us designers, nothing comes close to redesigning the last automotive icon. The design of the new Defender is a manifestation of our modernist design philosophy, elemental yet incredibly sophisticated.”
The Defender 110 starts from £45,240 on the road and is available to order now. While the Defender 90 is available from mid-2020 with pricing and deliveries to be confirmed at a later date.
Watch out for more info on this announcement coming up in FQ.
