2020 Land Rover Defender made its highly anticipated MENA debut at the 2019 Dubai International Motor Show last-week. At the largest international automotive event across the Middle East and North Africa region, there is no better occasion to mark the return of this iconic car.
“There are few cars as ingrained in the history of the UAE as the Land Rover Defender, and we are elated to be able to welcome it back to the region since its discontinuation in 2016” commented Bruce Robertson, Managing Director, Jaguar Land Rover Middle East and North Africa. “The New Defender is a testament to over 70 years of innovation and has evolved by using pioneering technological advancements to deliver new off-road capabilities which will continue to make the New Defender synonymous with adventure, reliability and trustworthiness.”
Comprising Defender, S, SE, HSE, First Edition and top-of – the-range Defender X, the range allows customers to personalize their vehicle in more ways than any previous Land Rover, with four accessory packages: Explorer, Adventure, Country and Urban pack,each giving the Defender a distinct character. During the first year of production, exclusive First Edition models with unique specifications will be available.
The New Land Rover Defender has passed over 62,000 engineering sign-off tests, while the chassis and body architecture have been designed to withstand Land Rover’s Extreme Event Test procedure – repeated and sustained impacts beyond and beyond the standard for SUV and passenger cars.
The New Defender is formed by more than 1.2 million kilometers of on-and off-road testing in extreme conditions around the world, including the scorching temperatures of the UAE, Arjeplog’s freezing cold in the Arctic Circle and the demanding Nürburgring Circuit in Germany and the plains of Kenya. This is a huge draw for UAE customers who need a vehicle that can withstand high temperatures, are at home on the urban streets, and can easily cross the desert surface.
Available in both 90 and 110 body designs, with up to six seats in the 90’s and five, six or 5 + 2 seats in the 110’s, its distinctive silhouette makes the New Defender instantly recognizable, with minimal front and rear overhangs providing excellent angles of approach and departure.
“The New Defender is respectful of its past but is not harnessed by it. This is a New Defender for a new age” commented Gerry McGovern, Chief Design Officer, Land Rover. “Its unique personality is accentuated by its distinctive silhouette and optimum proportions, which make it both highly desirable and seriously capable – a visually compelling 4×4 that wears its design and engineering integrity with uncompromised commitment.”
The new purpose-engineered D7x (for extreme) architecture of Land Rover is built on a lightweight monoquine aluminum design to create the most rigid body structure ever created by the company.
Three times stiffer than conventional body-on-frame models, Land Rover’s Extreme Event Test procedures have been designed to withstand and provide the perfect foundation for fully independent air or spiral suspension when supporting the new electrified powertrains.
A selection of advanced diesel engines for petrol and cleaner ensures that New Defender has the power, control and efficiency for any environment.
New Defender features a permanent four-wheel drive, a twin-speed automatic gearbox, a maximum 3,500 kg towing capacity and a maximum 300 kg static roof load, making it the perfect companion for overland adventures.
The New Defender is also the first Land Rover to feature Configurable Terrain Response, allowing drivers to more effectively than ever to fine-tune a variety of settings to match the conditions. A new Wade program optimizes the vehicle for fording–providing even greater confidence for customers when dealing with flooded roads and tracks. Defender has a peak wading depth of up to 900 mm in the world-class.
Within, the highly functional cabin architecture is distinguished by exposed structural elements and innovations of the 21st century, including the state-of – the-art New Pivi Pro infotainment system.- Furthermore, the Software-Over – The-Air platform, with 14 individual modules capable of receiving remote updates, ensures that Defender customers can benefit from the latest software anywhere in the world.
“We’ve embraced Defender’s stunning capability and minimalistic, functional interior to reinvent the icon for the 21st century” remarked Nick Rogers, Executive Director, Product Engineering, Jaguar Land Rover. “The New Defender gives us the licence to do things differently, to push the boundaries and do the unthinkable, without ever losing the character and authenticity of the original. From the start we had an absolute obsession with functionality beneath the skin, from choosing the right materials through to state of the art connectivity. The result is not only the most capable Land Rover ever made, but also a truly comfortable, modern vehicle that people will love to drive.”
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Also see: Next-gen Land Rover Defender – final mass production form gets revealed
GALLERY: 2020 Land Rover Defender
