Land Rover has finally launched the new Defender, after years of “spy” shots and controversy among the diehards, and it was shown at the Frankfurt Motor Show (see also P28). 

Jaguar Land Rover NZ general manager Steve Kenchington says to expect strong support for the next evolution of the Defender in this market. 

“Owners will be able to personalise the design of their new vehicle through four distinct accessory packs or by selecting from 170 individual accessories – the biggest range ever produced for a Land Rover.” 

Steve says the new model will be one of their most anticipated in recent times and will see limited stock made available across the globe. 

“We are advising our New Zealand customers to contact their authorised Jaguar Land Rover retailer to register their interest early,” he says. 

Pricing and delivery timing for the new Defender will be announced in the coming weeks 

Here are key pointers to the new model: 

Expedition-ready: A maximum payload of up to 900kg, static roof load of up to 300kg, dynamic roof load of 168kg, towing capacity of 3,500kg and wading depth of up to 900mm. 

Intelligent off-road tech: Land Rover’s pioneering Terrain Response 2 technology moves the game on again with new Wade programme and world-first off-road Configurable Terrain Response. 

On-road comfort: The Defender is composed on any road surface with supreme comfort ensuring long journeys are covered with ease. 

Efficiency at its heart: Electrified powertrains introduced to the Defender with advanced mild-hybrid, as well as powerful and efficient petrol and diesel engines 

21st Century technology: Debuts new Pivi Pro infotainment featuring an intuitive interface while software-over-the-air updates provide the latest software at all times, anywhere in the world 

A distinctive silhouette makes the new Defender instantly recognisable, with minimal front and rear overhangs providing excellent approach and departure angles. Land Rover’s designers re-envisioned familiar Defender trademarks for the 21st Century, giving the new 4x4 a purposeful upright stance and alpine light windows in the roof, while retaining the side-hinged rear tailgate and externally-mounted spare wheel that make the original so identifiable. 

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 offers five, six or 5+2 seating configurations, with a load space 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 will be able to accommodate six occupants in a vehicle the length of a compact family hatchback. 

User-friendly features include practical touches and advanced technological innovations. Durable rubberised flooring shrugs off the spills of daily adventures and once-in-a-lifetime expeditions, providing a brush or wipe clean interior. An optional full-length folding fabric roof provides an open-top feel. It also allows passengers in the second-row seats of the Defender 110 to stand up when parked to provide the full safari experience. 

Land Rover’s new purpose-engineered D7x (for extreme) architecture is based on a lightweight aluminium monocoque construction to create the stiffest body structure Land Rover has yet produced. It is three times stiffer than traditional body-on-frame designs, providing perfect foundations for the fully independent air or coil-sprung suspension and supports the latest electrified powertrains. 

It has permanent all-wheel drive and a twin-speed automatic gearbox, centre differential and optional Active Locking Rear Differential, all of which ensure it has all the hardware required to excel in the soft sand of the desert, the freezing tundra of the arctic and everywhere in between. 

Configurable Terrain Response debuts on new Defender, allowing experienced off-roaders to fine-tune individual vehicle settings to perfectly suit the conditions, while inexperienced drivers can let the system detect the most appropriate vehicle settings for the terrain, using the intelligent Auto function. 

The new body architecture provides ground clearance of 291mm and world-class off-road geometry, giving the 110 approach, breakover and departure angles of 38, 28 and 40 degrees (Off-Road height) respectively. Its maximum wading depth of 900mm is supported by a new Wade programme in the Terrain Response 2 system, which ensures drivers can ford deep water with complete confidence. 

Land Rover’s advanced ClearSight Ground View technology helps drivers by showing the area usually hidden by the bonnet, directly ahead of the front wheels, on the central touchscreen. 

There’s a choice of advanced petrol and cleaner diesel engines, while a plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV) powertrain will join the range next year providing the prospect of silent EV-only progress. 

At launch, the petrol line-up features a powerful six-cylinder P400, featuring efficient mild hybrid electric vehicle technology. Alternatively, customers can choose from a pair of four-cylinder diesels – the D200 and powerful D240 – both of which deliver fuel economy of 7.6 L/100km and CO2 emissions of 199g/km (NEDC equivalent).