Land Rover Defender

• The introduction of the Land Rover Defender is a significant event for the premium SUV market for several fascinating reasons.
• First, the Defender is a well-established off-roading icon, but the reason it stands proud is its legendary combination of its heritage of sheer power, modern luxury, and technology.
• The Indian market brings a lot of challenges as a mix of road conditions, climate, and the need for vehicles that can handle both urban commutes and rough terrain.
• The Defender faces these challenges through its new features, such as an advanced Terrain Response System, an Advanced Driver Assistance System, a powerful chassis, and more.
• Another impressive aspect of the Defender is its range of powertrains offered, which provides a flexibility for customers as per diverse preferences and the regulatory landscape across Indian states.
• Some of the masses may argue that the Defender is priced at a premium; I personally believe the value lies within the Defender’s blend of exclusivity, capability, and Land Rover’s heritage.
• To conclude, the Defender is not afraid to innovate, yet respects its past. To those who can afford it, this luxury SUV offers more than an adventure and everyday usability that few rivals can match.
  

• The design updates in the new Defender bring out subtle yet meaningful tweaks towards the boxy silhouette without diluting the classic Defender character.
• A sign of the Defender’s tasteful evolution is its new lighting signature.
• The LED DRLs (Daytime Running Lamps) are now slightly smaller in size but maintain a sharper look.
• The gloss black bar across the grille and the satin-finished bumpers in grey or silver bring a touch of refinery.
• A stealthy exterior design element is its smoked taillamps and standard fog lamps, which contribute to the appearance.
• The wheel centre caps now read ‘Defender’ instead of ‘Land Rover,’ a small yet significant detail.
• Lastly, the new 22-inch 7-spoke alloy wheels with a diamond-turned dark grey finish perfectly complement the SUV’s elegance.
  

• A positive leap that can be noticed is the introduction of a larger 13.1-inch free-standing infotainment screen, up from the previous 11.4 inches.
• The Pivi Pro system is intuitive and responsive, plus the bigger screen makes navigating and media controls visually appealing and seamless.
• The higher variants of the Defender make use of Windsor Leather and Kvadrat upholstery, which, combined with semi-aniline leather seats, creates a plush environment.
• The ebony theme complements the Defender on the inside, and the electronically adjustable front seats with ventilation and heating functions add an extra layer of comfort.
• A thoughtful feature within the Defender 130 is its individual captain chairs in the second row, which makes travelling convenient for families that frequently travel or those who travel with passengers, making third-row access much easier.
• More touches that Land Rover has retained are its durable rubber flooring, ample storage spaces, and a redesigned centre console.
• The panoramic sunroof and configurable ambient lighting give the customers a sense of space, and the Meridian surround sound system along with a ClearSight interior rearview mirror add to the premium experience.
• A meaningful upgrade that can be noticed is its inclusion of a refrigerator compartment in the centre console and a soft-close tailgate.
• Coming to the technology and convenience, the elements that contribute to the Defender’s modern driving experience are its wireless charging, three-zone climate control, 360-degree parking camera, adaptive cruise control, and an all-digital driver’s display.
• Lastly, a feature that is soundly relieving is the Defender’s physical climate controls for those who prefer tactile feedback over touchscreens.
  

• Apart from being built out of a high-strength aluminium body structure, the SUV offers 6 airbags as standard and proudly wears its 5-star Euro NCAP safety rating, which is a benchmark for global safety standards.
• The Defender features a range of advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS), and the key features are its adaptive cruise control, blind spot monitoring, driver attention monitor, 360-degree surround camera, parking aids, electronic stability programs, hill descent control, and hill launch assist.
• Finally, an interesting safety feature is the inclusion of guardian mode via the InControl app, which alerts owners and a vehicle tracking centre to unauthorised activity and adds a layer of security.
  

• The Defender in India is available in three types of engine options, which are petrol, diesel, and hybrid.
• Under the petrol option, customers can choose from over three engine types, which include a 2.0L Turbocharged (1997 cc), producing 296 bhp and 400 Nm of torque; a 5.0L Supercharged V8 (4999 cc), delivering up to 518 bhp and 625 Nm; and a 4.4L Twin-Turbo Mild Hybrid V8 (4395/4367 cc), the new flagship, generating 626 bhp and 750 to 800 Nm.
• Under the diesel option, customers receive a 3.0L inline-6 (2997 cc), available in two states of tune: 296 bhp or 345 bhp, with torque figures reaching 650 Nm.
• Within the hybrid option, customers receive a 3.0L mild hybrid (electric + diesel) and a 4.4L mild hybrid (electric + petrol).
• The Defender’s 2.0L petrol option delivers an ARAI mileage of 9.2 km/l, and the 3.0L diesel (mild-hybrid electric vehicle) delivers an ARAI mileage of 14.1 km/l. 
  

• The Defender in India is available in three body options, which are the 90, the 110, and the 130.
• The Defender is available in seven distinct variants, which are SE, HSE, X-Dynamic, X, Outbound, V8, and V8 Carpathian, along with special editions like the Octa and Octa Edition One.
• The Defender’s colour palette includes a variety of colours such as Pangea Green Metallic, Gondwana Stone Metallic, Tasman Blue Metallic, Eiger Grey Metallic, Santorini Black Metallic, Fuji White, Carpathian Grey, Silicon Silver, Faroe Green, Petra Copper, Sedona Red, and Charente Grey.
  

• At 5018 mm in length, 2105 mm in width, and 1967 mm in height, it’s one of the largest SUVs available in India.
• The wheelbase measures up to 3022 mm.
• The Defender’s curb weight varies by variant, but for the 110 HSE, it’s around 2261 kg, and for some diesel variants, it goes up to 2550 kg.
• The ground clearance ranges from 218 mm to 291 mm depending on the variant.
• A point to be noted is that parking such a wide and long SUV in tight urban spaces is not for the faint-hearted in a country like India.
  

Some of the Defender’s rivals are as follows:

• ​Toyota Land Cruiser​
• ​Jeep Wrangler​
• ​Mercedes-Benz GLC
• ​BMW X7​
• ​Volvo XC90