Take a Ride on the Wild Side
Take a Ride on the Wild Side
wheels, and you’ re nearly invincible.
The instructor calls this“ Slip”— but the kind that actually helps. The car senses slippage and counters it instantly, sending torque to the wheels with the most grip. Your job? Just stay calm and steer. The Defender, with its Terrain Response system, is always thinking five steps ahead.“ Most people panic when they feel a slide,” the instructor says, as we start a controlled drift across a slope.“ But in this car, you just go with gravity. Don’ t fight it. Steer into it.” We’ re told not to steer up the hill—“ Match the severity of the terrain with your pace”— and this simple mantra keeps the Defender confidently upright as we cross a cambered trail.
Inside: Space-Age Functionality Meets Expedition Chic
Inside the cabin, the luxury is more than skin deep.
There’ s a 400-horsepower engine under the hood, and yet, silence inside. The Defender glides over Vermont’ s rugged terrain like it’ s a freshly paved highway. There’ s even a refrigerator in the center console— because after all, who doesn’ t want chilled beverages while crawling through the woods?
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Another helpful party trick is the flip rearview mirror, which turns into a digital screen showing a live feed from the back of the car. Handy when your view is blocked by headrests or cargo. There’ s also the 4x4 info screen, which displays everything from wheel articulation to pitch, roll, and drivetrain activity. You don’ t need to understand it all, but it’ s oddly satisfying to watch the Defender’ s brain work.
The Alpine lights— narrow, skylight-like windows above the rear seats— let natural light stream in, a nod to the original Defender’ s utilitarian roots. But the expedition styling is where form meets function:
44 manchester life | manchesterlifemagazine. com