JLR Press Archive - September 09, 2019

The New Land Rover Defender makes Global Debut at Frankfurt Motor Show

An icon reimagined for the 21st century

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  • Incomparable, unstoppable: An icon reimagined for the 21st century
  • Designed with purpose, engineered to excite: Clever and characterful with an instantly recognisable silhouette that features signature Defender elements including short front and rear overhangs
  • Looks tough, is tough: Durable New D7x architecture engineered to withstand the Extreme Event Test procedure, above and beyond the normal standard for an SUV
  • World-class expert off and on-road: New Land Rover Defender redefines breadth of capability, all-terrain ability is beyond question, on-road comfort adds to its character
  • Expedition-ready: A maximum payload of up to 900kg, static roof load of up to 300kg, dynamic roof load of 168kg, towing capacity of 3,720kg* and wading depth of up to 900mm combine to make New Defender the ultimate 4×4 for overland adventures
  • Intelligent off-road tech: Land Rover’s pioneering Terrain Response 2 technology moves the game on again with new Wade programme and world-first off-road Configurable Terrain Response allowing experts and novices to optimise traction no matter the conditions
  • On-road comfort: New Defender is composed on any road surface with supreme comfort ensuring long journeys are covered with ease
  • Efficiency at its heart: Electrified powertrains introduced to Defender with advanced mild-hybrid and plug-in electric vehicle options, as well as powerful and efficient petrol and diesel engines
  • 21st Century technology: Debuts new Pivi Pro infotainment featuring an intuitive interface while Software-Over-The-Air updates provide the latest software at all times, anywhere in the world
  • Reductionist, purposeful interior: The functional, durable and flexible interior is unique with exposed structural elements and a centre front jump seat – perfect for sharing adventures with the family
  • Meet the family: Defender 110 available with 5+2 seating in four distinct Accessory Packs (Explorer, Adventure, Country and Urban) and with 170 individual accessories, will be joined by a smaller Defender 90 and versatile and durable commercial models
  • Capable of great things: Defender has the inner strength necessary to make great things happen. The champion of those with the courage to provide help where others dare not, or cannot go
  • Global partners: Land Rover to continue long-term humanitarian partnership with the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) with Defender at the heart of if it
  • Choose your model: 90 commercial will be priced from £35,000 (plus VAT), 90 bodystyle indicative price of £40,000 and 110 starting at £45,240 in the UK. Configure yours at www.landrover.com/Defender

This is the New Land Rover Defender. An icon reimagined for the 21st century, it is clever, capable and safe for all the family, and in a category of its own.

New Defender is built for adventurous hearts and curious minds, for those who know the value of community and strive to make a difference.

The unmistakable silhouette is familiar yet new. It looks tough and is tough but designed with purpose and engineered to excite. Iconic in name, shape and capability, Defender can be personalised to allow owners to make the most of their world.

Across seven decades of pioneering innovation, Land Rovers have earned a unique place in the hearts of explorers, humanitarian agencies and adventurous families across the world. Proven in the harshest environments on earth, the New Defender maintains this bloodline.

Beside the peerless luxury and refinement of the Range Rover family and the highly capable and versatile Discovery SUVs, New Defender completes the Land Rover dynasty. The 110 is just the start for  this family of the most capable and durable 4x4s in the world. It will be swiftly followed by a compact, short wheelbase 90, before a pair of practical commercial models join the line-up in 2020.

Driven by a passion and respect for the original, New Defender delivers transformational breadth of capability. Advanced all-terrain technologies redefine adventure for the 21st century, remaining true to the pioneering spirit that has been a Land Rover hallmark for 71 years.

Emotionally charged design

A distinctive silhouette makes the New Defender instantly recognisable, with minimal front and rear overhangs providing excellent approach and departure angles. Land Rover’s designers re-envisioned familiar Defender trademarks for the 21st century, giving the new 4×4 a purposeful upright stance and Alpine light windows in the roof, while retaining the side-hinged rear tailgate and externally-mounted spare wheel that make the original so identifiable.

Gerry McGovern, Chief Design Officer, Land Rover, said: “The New Defender is respectful of its past but is not harnessed by it. This is a new Defender for a New Age. 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 stripped-back personality of the original Defender has been embraced inside, where structural elements and fixings usually hidden from view have been exposed, with the emphasis on simplicity and practicality. Innovative features include a dash-mounted gear shifter to accommodate an optional centre front ‘jump’ seat, which provides three-abreast seating across the front like early Land Rovers.

As a result, the Defender 110 offers five, six or 5+2 seating configurations, with a loadspace behind the second-row seats of up to 1,075-litres, and as much as 2,380-litres when the second row is folded. The Defender 90 will be able to accommodate six occupants in a vehicle the length of a compact family hatchback.

User-friendly features include practical touches and advanced technological innovations. Durable rubberised flooring shrugs off the spills of daily adventures and once-in-a-lifetime expeditions, providing a brush or wipe clean interior. An optional full-length Folding Fabric Roof provides an open-top feel. It also allows passengers in the second-row seats of the Defender 110 to stand up when parked to provide the full safari experience**.

The definition of durability

Land Rover’s new purpose-engineered D7x (for extreme) architecture is based on a lightweight aluminium monocoque construction to create the stiffest body structure Land Rover has ever produced. It is three times stiffer than traditional body-on-frame designs, providing perfect foundations for the fully independent air or coil sprung suspension and supports the latest electrified powertrains.

The New Defender has been through more than 62,000 tests for engineering sign-off, while the chassis and body architecture have been engineered to withstand Land Rover’s Extreme Event Test procedure – repeated and sustained impacts, above and beyond the normal standard for SUV and passenger cars.

During development testing, prototype models have covered millions of kilometres across some of the harshest environments on earth, ranging from the 50-degree heat of the desert and sub 40-degree cold of the Arctic to altitudes of 10,000ft in the Rocky Mountains in Colorado.

A world-class expert off and on-road

A transformational breadth of capability sets New Defender apart. Permanent all-wheel drive and a twin-speed automatic gearbox, centre differential and optional Active Locking Rear Differential ensure it has all the hardware required to excel in the soft sand of the desert, the freezing tundra of the arctic and everywhere in between.

Configurable Terrain Response debuts on New Defender, allowing experienced off-roaders to fine-tune individual vehicle settings to perfectly suit the conditions, while inexperienced drivers can let the system detect the most appropriate vehicle settings for the terrain, using the intelligent Auto function.

The new body architecture provides ground clearance of 291mm and world-class off-road geometry, giving the 110 approach, breakover and departure angles of 38, 28 and 40 degrees (Off-Road height) respectively. Its maximum wading depth of 900mm is supported by a new Wade programme in the Terrain Response 2 system, which ensures drivers can ford deep water with complete confidence.

On dry land, Land Rover’s advanced ClearSight Ground View technology helps drivers take full advantage of Defender’s all-conquering capability by showing the area usually hidden by the bonnet, directly ahead of the front wheels, on the central touchscreen.

As a result, the New Defender redefines breadth of capability, raising the threshold for both off-road ruggedness and on-road comfort. It can negotiate crowded city streets as effortlessly as climbing mountains, crossing deserts and withstanding freezing temperatures. Its carefully honed handling delivers both a rewarding drive and first-class long-haul comfort across all terrains.

Power and efficiency

A choice of advanced petrol and cleaner diesel engines ensure New Defender has the power, control and efficiency for any environment, while a Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicle (PHEV) powertrain will join the range next year providing the prospect of silent EV-only progress.

At launch, the petrol line-up comprises a four-cylinder P300 and a powerful six-cylinder P400, featuring efficient Mild Hybrid Electric Vehicle technology. Alternatively, customers can choose from a pair of four-cylinder diesels – the D200 and powerful D240 – both of which deliver fuel economy of 37.2mpg (7.6 l/100km) and CO2 emissions of 199g/km (NEDC equivalent).

Innovative engineering solutions support the efficiency drive, including a flat underbody which both optimises aerodynamic performance (as low as 0.38Cd) and protecting the vehicle’s underbody.

21st century technology

New Defender is as technologically advanced as it is durable. 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.

In addition, the New Defender takes Software-Over-The-Air (SOTA) technology to a new level, with 14 individual modules capable of receiving remote updates. By downloading data while customers are asleep at home or in far-flung locations, the New Defender will get better with age: as electronic updates cascade down to the vehicle immediately, without delay and with no need to visit a Land Rover retailer.

Nick Rogers, Executive Director, Product Engineering, Jaguar Land Rover, said: “We’ve embraced Defender’s stunning capability and minimalistic, functional interior to reinvent the icon for the 21st century. 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.”

Personalised for your world

New Defender will be available in 90 and 110 body designs, with up to six seats in the 90 and the option of five, six or 5+2 seating in the 110. The model range comprises Defender, First Edition and top of the range Defender X models, as well as standard, S, SE, HSE specification packs. Customers will be able to personalise their vehicle in more ways than any previous Land Rover with four Accessory Packs. The Explorer, Adventure, Country and Urban Packs each give Defender a distinct character with a specially selected range of enhancements. The exclusive First Edition model features a unique specification and will be available throughout the first year of production.

Customers will also be able to opt for a new Satin Protective Film to make the exterior paintwork even more durable. The sustainable, solvent-free and completely recyclable wrap helps protect against everything from car park scratches to bramble rash and will be available as a factory-fit option with Indus Silver, Gondwana Stone and Pangea Green colours, providing a unique contemporary finish as it protects New Defender’s paintwork.

In addition to the Accessory Packs, New Defender is available with the widest choice of individual accessories ever assembled for a new Land Rover, with everything from a Remote Control Electric Winchº, Rooftop Tent and Inflatable Waterproof Awnings to more conventional tow bar systems and roof racks.

Felix Bräutigam, Chief Commercial Officer, Jaguar Land Rover, said: “New Defender will be available in 128 global markets and meets or exceeds the toughest emissions and safety requirements in the world. Combining advanced technology and durable mechanical underpinnings we have delivered the toughness and character you can only find in a Defender. Our new 4×4 has been developed for adventurous hearts and curious minds. With four personalities to choose from, two body styles and a comprehensive range of options and accessories, customers will be able to personalise Defender to make their ultimate 4×4 companion – whatever their lifestyle.”

Above and Beyond Collection

The potential to accessorise Defender extends beyond the vehicle itself, as customers can also shop from the new Above and Beyond Collection – a 24-piece capsule collection designed and developed in collaboration with Musto®. The range of outdoor performance apparel, technical equipment and accessories delivers the same toughness as the famous off-roader and features everything from a hybrid jacket, which effortlessly transforms into a gilet using Quickburst zip technology, to a belt with a tensile strength of 6,000kg.

A selection of lifestyle packs is also available mirroring those available for New Defender, grouping specially chosen kit that suit country life, city living, outdoor adventure and exploration respectively.

An intuitive online configurator lets customers personalise the Defender quickly and easily. To choose your perfect specification go to: www.landrover.com/Defender

Full Defender press kit:

  • Design: Reinventing a design icon
  • Capability: Redefining breadth of capability
  • Technology: A 21st century Defender
  • Accessories: Make more of your world with the most accessorised and personalised Land Rover

Notes to Editors

About Land Rover

Since 1948 Land Rover has been manufacturing authentic 4x4s that represent true ‘breadth of capability’ across the model range. Defender, Discovery, Discovery Sport, Range Rover, Range Rover Sport, Range Rover Velar and Range Rover Evoque each define the world’s SUV sectors, with 80 per cent of this model range exported to over 100 countries.

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