Next-gen Land Rover Defender unveiled

Land Rover has unveiled the next generation Defender.

The new Defender is based on D7x architecture, which uses lightweight aluminium monocoque construction. Land Rover claims that the new platform is stiffer than a traditional body-on-frame design. It supports electrified powertrains and can be equipped with independent air or coil sprung suspension. The car has a ground clearance of 291 mm and the maximum water wading depth is 900 mm. The approach, break over and departure angles are 38-degrees, 28-degrees and 40-degrees respectively.

The new Defender features rectangular wraparound headlamp clusters with circular LED daytime running lights and a chunky front bumper. It has a prominent shoulder line and an upright rear end. The spare wheel is mounted on the tail gate. Like the previous model, the new Defender will be available in 3-door and 5-door body styles.

On the inside, the new Defender comes with a 4-spoke multi-function steering wheel and a digital instrument cluster. The centre console houses a new Pivi Pro touchscreen infotainment system that supports over-the-air software updates.

The Defender 110 is available with 5+2 seating and comes in four trim levels - Explorer, Adventure, Country and Urban. It also gets an optional central front jump seat.

The new Defender will be available with two petrol and two diesel engine options. These include 4-cylinder and 6-cylinder petrol engines and two 4-cylinder diesels. These are mated to an 8-speed automatic transmission and Land Rover's Terrain Response 2 all-wheel drive system. It also gets an optional Active Locking Rear Differential. A plug-in hybrid model will be introduced at a later date.