The wait for the icon is over : The new Land Rover Defender launched in India

Ambar Bhattacharya, abptakmaa, Kolkata, 17th Oct 2020 : Jaguar Land Rover India, today announced the launch of the New Land Rover Defender in India. Offered with a 2.0 l (litre) Turbocharged four-cylinder petrol engine, producing 221 kW (300 PS) and 400 Nm of torque, the New Defender is available in two distinct body styles, the very sporty 90 (3 door) and the versatile 110 (5 door). The New Defender 90 is priced from ₹ 73.98 Lakh and the New Defender 110 is priced from ₹ 79.94 Lakh (ex-showroom India). Deliveries of Defender 110 have now begun while deliveries of Defender 90 will commence from Q1 of FY 2021.

Rohit Suri, President & Managing Director, Jaguar Land Rover India Ltd. (JLRIL) said:

“So far, under Land Rover, we had the Discovery product pillar and Range Rover product pillar available in India. With this launch, the third product pillar, Defender, is now available. This, in many ways, completes the Land Rover brand story and we are very excited about expanding the reach and appeal of Land Rover amongst our customer base. The New Defender will make its place in the hearts of many people with a curious mind, love for authentic adventures, passion for travel and who dare & wish to go above and beyond in life. Such individuals transcend barriers of age, gender, profession, with their free spirited nature and fearlessness, just like the New Defender”.

DESIGN – REINVENTED WITH PURPOSE AND ENGINEERED TO EXCITE

The design of the New Land Rover Defender is reimagined for the 21st century. The Defender, a symbol of strength, is known for its durability and rugged capability. Elements such as the solid shoulder line, minimal front and rear overhangs, Alpine light windows, round headlights, side-hinged rear tailgate & externally mounted spare wheel are typical characteristics that are retained from the original model. 

The New Land Rover Defender is a highly customizable vehicle. Customers can choose from seven exterior colour options including Fuji White, Eiger Grey, Santorini Black, Indus Silver as well as options such as Tasman Blue, Pangea Green, and Gondwana Stone that are exclusive to the Defender. A range of 9 wheel designs from 45. 72 cm (18) pressed steel rims to 50.8 cm (20) alloys are also provided on the New Defender.

Retaining practicality and functionality at its core, the Defender’s cabin has an ergonomic design that offers 5 + 2 seating configurations with an innovative optional front row centre seat also known as jump seat. The rear load space delivers maximum practicality with the 110 providing load carrying capacity from 231 l (litres) for the 5+2 seater with all rows up, to 2,380 l (litres) for the 5 seater with the second row folded down. The second-row seatbacks are split 40:20:40 for maximum flexibility, while load space rails on the floor of the luggage space come with a range of load retention accessories to prevent smaller items from moving around inside.

The standard model uses resolve textiles while the S & SE use Grained Leather with a Robust Woven textile & HSE gets high-grade Windsor Leather with Steel-cut premium textile from Kvadrat, which is a 30 percent wool blend. Customers can select veneers from amongst rough-cut Walnut or Natural Smoked Dark Oak Veneer while powder coated colours like Dark Grey and Light Grey are standard with the option of product-inspired white for all the exposed parts. The materials used provide a perfect balance of tactility, softness and durability to the minimalistic and functional interior, making every journey truly comfortable.

UNPARALLELED CAPABILITY

To retain signature cues from the original design, accommodate a family of body designs and to support the diverse powertrain options in the future, the vehicle has been designed on the bespoke D7x platform. The lightweight all-aluminium monocoque construction of the D7x Architecture makes the Defender three times more rigid than traditional body-on-frame designs and the stiffest Land Rover ever made. This strong, stiff structure provides the perfect foundation for the 4×4’s advanced all-independent chassis.

Delivering transformational breadth of capability and on-road handling, Defender is in a category of its own. The Configurable Terrain Response and Terrain Response 2 enhances the All-Terrain Capability and allows customers to personalise the off road system preferences. Rewarding on-road handling with Adaptive Dynamics provides a connected driving experience and supreme long-haul comfort across all terrains and in all conditions. Adaptive Dynamics is available with Electronic Air Suspension, allowing customers to fine-tune the driving characteristics. The system’s adaptive dampers monitor body movements up to 500 times per second and respond almost instantaneously to optimise control and comfort.

For off-roading, the New Defender has an impressive maximum Approach Angle of 38 degrees, maximum Break over Angle of 28 degrees (31 degrees on 90) and maximum Departure Angle of 40 degrees. With Wade Sensing screen on the infotainment system, the Defender has a water wading depth of 900 mm. The New Defender delivers a maximum towing capacity of 3,720 kg coupled with a roof load capacity of 168 kg.

21ST CENTURY TECHNOLOGY

The New Defender is flanked by a series of technological advancements adding to the durability and capability of the vehicle. It introduces Land Rover’s new Pivi Pro infotainment system. The next-generation touchscreen is intuitive and user-friendly, requiring few inputs to perform frequently used tasks, while its always-on design guarantees almost instant responses.

The New Defender sports the next-generation Electronic Vehicle Architecture (EVA 2.0) supporting SOTA (Software-Over-The-Air) updates. SOTA allows customers to receive updates without visiting the retailer. Within the lifetime of the New Defender, the embedded diagnostics system will be able to alert customers about issues and either prevent or resolve them automatically as a data connection replaces a traditional toolkit.

The Infotainment in the New Land Rover Defender includes a 25.4 cm (10) Touchscreen with Connected Navigation Pro and a 31.24 cm (12.3) high-definition Interactive Driver Display. It can be personalised to include a full-screen map, phone and media functionality. The vehicle also offers ClearSight Rear Mirror, which uses a live video feed to ensure that you always enjoy an unobstructed view & ClearSight Ground View which is available as a part of the 3D Surround Camera system. ClearSight Ground View allows you to effectively see ‘through’ Defender’s bonnet and displays multiple exterior views, including the vehicle’s underside and wheels. For comfort, the vehicle has an optional Meridian Surround Sound System (700 W), which includes 14 speakers and a dual channel subwoofer, heated and cooled seats and premium cabin lighting gives you 10 configurable options so you can match your surroundings to your mood, personality, or driving style.

PERSONALISED FOR YOUR WORLD

Allowing customers to explore unlimited possibilities, the New Defender offers choice from among 170 individual accessories and four distinct Accessory packs, including:

• Explorer Pack: It’s equipped with features such as the Expedition Roof Rack, a Raised Air Intake to wade through the deepest of waters, Exterior Side-mounted Gear Carrier to store items, Wheel Arch Protection, Front & Rear Classic Mudflaps, Spare Wheel Cover, and Matte Black Bonnet detail that makes it ideal for those who want to defy conventions and conquer uncharted landscapes.

• Adventure Pack: Designed to equip you for the wild, the pack features an Integrated Air Compressor to inflate tyres on the go, Portable Rinse System to wash off while you are on the trail, an Exterior Side Mounted Gear Carrier and a Seat Backpack to store items, Front and Rear Mudflaps, Bright Rear Scuff plate and a Spare Wheel cover.
• Country Pack: With Front & Rear Classic Mudflaps, Bright Rear Scuff Plate, Portable Rinse System, Wheel Arch Protection and Loadspace Partition, it equips you when you decide to embrace the elements and make every journey truly memorable.
• Urban Pack: It lends touches of individuality for your vehicle with the use of Bright Metal Pedals and Rear Scuff Plate, Front Undershield and a Spare Wheel Cover.

More details on the New Land Rover Defender are available on www.landrover.in

Land Rover Product Portfolio in India

The Land Rover range in India includes the Range Rover Evoque (starting at ₹ 58.67 Lakh),  Discovery Sport (starting at ₹ 59.91 Lakh), the Range Rover Velar (priced at ₹ 73.30 Lakh), Discovery (starting at ₹ 75.59 Lakh), Range Rover Sport (starting at ₹ 88.24 Lakh) and Range Rover (starting at ₹ 196.82 Lakh). All prices mentioned are ex-showroom prices in India. Publicity : Carpediem Communique.