Off road : Land Rover Defender

Vehicles

Off road : Land Rover Defender y.2019

After almost four years of compulsory break Land Rover has reinvented the Defender. The indestructible off-road icon introduces itself at the IAA to its expectantly enthusiastic fan community - fully networked, with mild hybrid drive and newly initiated gentleness on paved terrain. The order books are already open, first models will be delivered in spring 2020. The new generation is also actively fighting through the terrain. Manufacturer It was difficult for him almost four years ago, says Richard Agnew, very, very hard. With his farewell pain Land Rover's head of communications was not alone. Worldwide, a large fan base mourned the end for the Defender, whose production was discontinued in January 2016, for the time being without replacement. Unfailing demands on pedestrian protection and exhaust gas purification had cost the British icon the career, from now on the Defender had to leave the highs, lows and floods of extremely rough terrain to the competitors Mercedes G-Class, Toyota Landcruiser and Jeep Wrangler. This September, is the time of the new Defender, to whom his followers have eagerly anticipated. For Massimo Frascella ends with the premiere of a demanding creative period. Nothing is more difficult for his profession than reinventing an automotive legend, says the exterior designer. After all, the sturdy warhorse has been around for 71 years, and Land Rover is unthinkable without the Defender.

Even if almost certainly one or the other fundamentalist should grumble about the fact that the new one is simply no longer the characterful old one: gentlemen, that's just how it must be with a generational change! And the design team has succeeded in modernizing the adventurous warhorse so skilfully that its iconic forms have been unmistakably preserved. The silhouette is so simple that even a child can trace it with a few strokes, says Frascella. Ultra-short overhangs, upright front, steep back, laterally hinged tailgate with outside attached spare wheel - finished.  Two lengths, two wheelbases  His new life begins the Defender next spring as variant "110", five-door and 5.02 meters long. Later in the year follows the shorter three-door "90". Even an extra-long 130 version is considered a done deal. Customers can choose from three roof variants - a fixed superstructure, one with the literal revelation of a large panoramic roof and a fold-back canvas top. The already legendary off-road competence of the Defender was further optimized. Also in the future he leaves every soft-washed SUV cold-smiling stand. The basis is the newly developed D7x bodywork architecture made of self-supporting aluminum monocoque in combination with independent suspension. The newly introduced, electronically controlled air suspension automatically adjusts itself to the traffic on the ground, while the adaptive dampers vigilantly monitor the body movements, carrying out their check 500 times a second. If it goes over hill and dale, the Defender provides up to 14.5 centimeters more ground clearance when needed, with a maximum of almost 30 centimeters. Conversely, an arrival function lowers the off-roader by five centimeters when stopping to allow comfortable entry and exit. Lateral inclinations of 45 degrees scare the off-road professional just as little as 45-degree gradients, the all-wheel technology works with two-stage transfer case, lockable center differential and optional active rear differential. With this, the Briton should be able to cope with just about anything that comes under his spear in the course of his adventurous life, Land Rover thinks of expeditions through soft desert sand as well as tours over frozen tundra soils.

Depending on the gusto and competence, the driver can intervene in a self-controlling manner, whereby a touchscreen is available to him as a control center or entrust himself to the intelligent automatic function. "Terrain Response 2" also ensures that the Defender goes swimming without running away: The Wat mode dampens the throttle, turns the heating and ventilation on circulating air, locks the differentials and lifts the body to off-road level. On the screen can be tracked, which deep water are plowed through, maximum 90 centimeters are in it. And when the Briton gets out of the flood and leaves Wat mode, the system briefly activates the brakes to dry and clean the windows. Helpful off-road assistance provides a bird's-eye view of a 360-degree view and a technology called the "Clear Sight Ground View", making the hood virtually transparent by bringing the images of the busy terrain to the screen in the dashboard.  Since the first Defender was born in Amsterdam in 1948, "the world has changed massively," says Creative Director Massimo Frascella. This also means that the demands of customers have become different, terrain expertise they no longer want to pay with rumpel hard behavior on the road. With the new Defender, one can still eat solid food after several hundred kilometers, Landrover's Strategy Director Hanno Kirner notes, thus alluding to the ability of predatory driving to become a comfortable traveling companion as needed.

This is also manifested in luxury in the interior, a new infotainment system, full networking and spatial variability. The latter then presents itself in such a way that the Defender can be ordered optionally as a five- or six-seater, the Defender 110 also as a seven-seater. The six-seater configuration results from a central "Jump Seat" in the first row, which is folded down to the armrest. Depending on the seat configuration, the trunk of the Defender 110 packs 160 to 1946 liters away. For the time being, customers can choose between four engines on the engine side, all combined with eight-speed automatic transmissions. On turbocharged petrol are the P300 with 221 kW (300 hp) strong two-liter four-cylinder and the mild hybrid P400 MHEV with 294 kW (400 hp) powerful inline six-cylinder, 48-volt system and integrated starter generator ready. Who prefers a diesel, with a two-liter four-cylinder twin turbo, the power levels 147 kW (200 hp) and 177 kW (240 hp) operated, the corresponding variants are under the designation D200 and D240. A plug-in hybrid will complete the drive range next year. As expected, the two most fuel-efficient diesels, each with a standard fuel consumption of 7.7 to 7.6 liters, correspond to 204 to 199 g / km CO2. In addition to the equipment variants S, SE, HSE, First Edition and Defender X, the price list lists four different accessory packages called Explorer, Adventure, Country and Urban, whose typical extras can also be ordered individually, from the Dog package with portable dog shower over the on the side of the body attached box to the roof tent and the retractable waterproof sun sails. The order books for the new Defender 110 are already open, showing prices starting at 55,600 euros. If you want to order the Defender 90, you have to wait until the beginning of 2020 and expect at least 50,000 euros.

 

  • Land Rover Defender 110
    Land Rover Defender 110
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