Meet the equally imposing, equally opulent newcomer from Land Rover. We’re somewhat smitten.
There are two types of Land Rover Defender fan in the world. Purists that think the original car was perfect. That believe its mild evolution was enough to justify its position in the market, and so dislike the new car for being an over-engineered luxury vehicle won’t cope in the wild.
Then there’s the second group of Defender fans who love the new car, and I’m firmly in this camp, a position that was further fortified upon delivery of this 110 derivative equipped with Explorer Pack. It’s rocking a tough aesthetic with curb presence and appeal in excess. Sure, you’ve got boxy, geometric styling and proportions, yet Land Rover have imbued it with a premiumness that escaped its utilitarian predecessor. New Defender also retains its go-anywhere, do-anything DNA, only now, you can add posh restaurant to its regular watering holes. And I’m happy to report that this high-end look gets carried into the interior.
The cabin is posh as hell, filled to the absolute brim with multimedia screens, smartphone connectivity and a raft of safety gear. Charging points? Check. A plethora in fact including multiple USB ports, 12V sockets and more – useful for the adventurous. It’s also quite roomy in here, it being the long wheelbase 110 model after all – so can easily swallow up your entire family as you set off for the exact kind of trip it was designed to do. Then, the Defender being a prolific 4×4 means the new one is chock full of driving modes, dubbed Terrain Response 2. It’s all encompassing, covering grass, gravel, show, rocks, mud – you name it!
There’s quite a range of power units on offer in both 90 and 110 body styles, such as the 177kW SD4 with its turbocharged two-litre diesel. Mine however is a meatier Defender X with a 221kW three litre turbo diesel, and that means it has an abundance of performance to match its intimidating appearance. It’ll do a zero to hundred sprint in just seven seconds. That’s GTI territory in something the size of a bus. And you’ve got to love that! But you can’t ignore the laws of physics, and neither can the fuel gauge. Land Rover claims 8l/100km but I’m struggling to keep it under 10. But, do I really care? Not when the drive is this good!
Just over 70 years ago, Land Rover built the Series 1. From this it produced the Range Rover, the Defender and Discovery – their entire catalogue of cars. I can’t help but think that with the latest Defender, they’ve almost consolidated their entire range into one, amazing machine. A luxurious, highly capable monument of a car that can be specced any way you like, and for any kind of adventure.