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ZZZSHIFFRXNNEW DEFENDER MUST BE JUDGED
ON ITS TOUGHNESS, NOT ITS LOOKS
NOT JUST A TEST TRACK
MIRA is also a thriving car
development hub, p
JUICY
A b su r d a s i t l o o k s , th i s o ra n g e M i n i
is road legal. We drive it, p
SENSIBLE MONEY
Less than five grand for a modern,
reliable Skoda Octavia, p
AFTER ALMOST A decade of build-up, we’ve had our first
official contact with the reborn Land Rover Defender (p42).
While tantalisingly under camouflage, the Defender still
revealed many of its secrets and off-road prowess in our ride.
How the Defender will ultimately be judged is on that
off-road mettle, that toughness, that durability. To that end, as Matt
Saunders discovers, Land Rover has overhauled its development
process to give this car a kicking of epic proportions, to really push
that durability and make sure it gets back up for more. For the car’s
credibility, long-term success and viability, it simply had to be done.
The company’s perception on reliability remains a long way from the
industry’s best, to put it kindly, not only for its latest high-tech models
but also on the previous Defender in the parts of the world where
you won’t even get phone signal, let alone access to the A A or R AC.
Breaking down there simply isn’t an option.
The original Defender was carried through by nostalgia and its
charm more than anything else towards the end of its life. Forget
what the new one looks like, for what it must now do is restore
the Defender’s reputation where it really matters.
Mark Tisshaw Editor
m a r k .t i s s h a w @ h a y m a r ke t. c o m @ m t i s s h a w
EDITOR’S PICKS
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Email [email protected]
Editor Mark Tisshaw
Editorial director, Automotive Jim Holder
Editor-in-chief Steve Cropley
Managing editor Damien Smith
Editor-at-large Matt Prior
Deputy editor James Attwood
Deputy editor – digital Rachel Burgess
Deputy digital editor Tom Morgan
Road test editor Matt Saunders
Road testers Simon Davis, Richard Lane
News editor Lawrence Allan
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Picture editor Ben Summerell-YoudeEDITORIAL CONTRIBUTORS
European editor Greg Kable
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Senior contributing writer Andrew Frankel
Senior contributing editor Richard Bremner
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Features apprentice Harry Roberts
Special correspondents Mauro Calo, Jesse Crosse, James Disdale,
John Evans, Colin Goodwin, Hilton Holloway, Peter Liddiard,
Julian Rendell, Richard Webber
Special contributors John Bradshaw, Edward Browne, Kris Culmer,
Claire Evans, John Howell, Steve Huntingford, Boyan Marinov, Darren
Moss, Allan Muir, Will Nightingale, Doug Revolta, Louis Shaw,
Alan Taylor-Jones, Becky Wells, Will Williams, Dan WrennMEDIA ENQUIRIES
Tel +44 (0)20 8541 3434
Contact Natasha Perry ([email protected])SUBSCRIPTIONS
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Senior production controller Roxy AgiusMANAGEMENT
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Publishing and events assistant Lydia Banton© 2019, Haymarket Media Group Ltd. Autocar, Motor, Autocar & Motor are
registered trademarks. Circulation enquiries: Frontline Ltd, 1st Floor, Stuart
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Tel +44 (0)20 8267 5000A u t o c a r m a g a z i n e i s a l s o p u b l i s h e d i n C h i n a , G r e e c e , I n d i a , I n d o n e s i a , J a p a n ,
Korea, Malaysia, Philippines and Thailand.Autocar is a member of the Independent Press Standards Organisation (IPSO).
We abide by the Editors’ Code of Practice and are committed to upholding the
highest standards of journalism. If you think we haven’t met those standards
and want to make a complaint, contact [email protected]. For more
i n f o r m a t i o n , c o n t a c t I P S O o n 03 0 0 123 2220 o r v i s i t w w w. i p s o. c o. u k7 AUGUST 2019 AUTOCAR.CO.UK 7
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