You may have seen the new Land Rover Defender making its appearance in
the latest James Bond trailer for ‘No Time To Die’, which really demonstrates
the Defender’s capability on tough terrain... Well, we got to feast our eyes on
one of the first new Land Rover Defenders.
Amongst the lineup of retro Land Rovers this month, was an alien silhouette. All
3 vehicles had white ‘steelie’ wheels with all matching white roofs. Stuart Robinson
brought his 1971 series 2A 88” light green and Richy Soden-Barton brought his 1976
series 3 88” marine blue. Behold the new Defender! Despite the evolution, the new car’s
profile is unmistakably Defender, with the distinctive bonnet and strong roofline, not
to mention the spare wheel sited on the side-opening tailgate. The Defender is quite a
large vehicle and certainly has the chunky appeal of the original. Inside, the interior is
very Defender, it receives a sophisticated new electronics architecture that offers the latest
smartphone connectivity, but is also future-proofed by over-the-air upgradability. Its
utility credentials are reinforced with heavy duty rubber matting, screwed-on door trims.
The dominant feature on the fascia is the central, exposed magnesium crossbeam – a
structural component which, Land Rover claims, you could use to move the car if you
tugged it hard enough. It’s more likely to be useful because of its integrated grab handles.
The all-new Land Rover Defender starts from £45,240. This will get you the long-
wheelbase, 110 version of the car. Cheaper models will join the line-up later down the
line, with a shorter, 90 variant set to be priced from around £40,000. It has been rumoured
that an even longer-wheelbase, 130 version of the Defender will be joining the range
later, although this hasn't been officially confirmed yet. Land Rover is yet to say when
your Defender will be delivered. However, you can expect first customers to get their cars
towards the end of the year, with some more barebones commercial versions due in 2020.
The Defender has six trim levels available. The range starts with the £45,240 standard
model, followed by S, SE, HSE and First Edition trims. The Defender X version sits at
the very top of the range. Standard Defenders get a ‘Resolve’ textile interior, while S and
SE cars get a grained leather one, HSE models get Windsor leather and Defender X cars
get a Windsor leather/eco-friendly textile mix. Land Rover is yet to confirm more details
about the Defender’s trim levels. However, a leaked spec sheet has given a good indication
of what else to expect. Based on this, S cars get 18-inch alloy wheels, fog lights and a six-
speaker, 170W stereo. SE cars have 20-inch wheels, automatically dipping LED headlights
and a 370W stereo. HSE models get Matrix LED headlights and a 14-speaker, 740W
surround-sound stereo. Lastly, Defender X cars have darkened wheels (still 20 inches)
and ‘smoked’ taillights. If you’re torn between buying the 110 version of the Defender or
waiting for the cheaper 90, the differences – as with the old model – are with passenger
and storage space. The 110 can be configured into five-, six- or seven-seat layouts (thanks
to the Defender’s gear shifter being mounted on the dashboard, allowing three-abreast
seating at the front). Behind the second row of seats is storage space of up to 1,075 litres,
which you can expand to up to 2,380 litres when all but the front seats are folded down.
Meanwhile, in the 90, you can accommodate up to six people (not bad for a car around
the same length as a Ford Focus).
Gerry McGovern, Land Rover’s Design Director and a man with a long history of ‘new
Defenders’ said: “When I was in the Rover Group originally in the eighties and nineties,
there was talk about new Defenders then,” he recalls. “When I came back in 2004, they
were still talking about it. I was one of the people that decided to bring it back, but it
had to be at the right time, because we had to get everything sorted out first.” The stakes
were, and are, enormous. Full-fat Range Rovers and Evoques bring in the cash – but
their credibility and authenticity are wrapped up, not in the car parks of Chelsea, but
the fields, beaches and jungles the Defender calls home. So the all-new model had to not
only encompass modern design techniques and fuel efficiency but also retain a utilitarian
focus.
Remember this vehicle is not launched to the general public yet, even though it was
launched at Frankfurt Motorshow September last year, so we are very honoured to
have this shown to all our members. Thanks to Ian Holohan -Trim & Final Technology
Manager at Jaguar Land Rover and leading Engineers - Richy Soden Barton & Garry
Watson.
If you have a vehicle you would like to debut here at Cars N Coffee Liverpool, a restored
classic, a prototype, a project car, truck or anything on wheels, we would like to know!
Until next time, see you all again on the last Sunday of the month!! 9am at the Chung
Ku Restaurant Liverpool for some banter, Coffee and a Char Sui Bun, and all for charity!
www.chungku.co Safe Happy motoring!
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