Stuff - UK (2020-04)

Roverhead

‘Alpine lights’ along

the sides of the roof

are a nice nostalgic

touch, and let in extra

sunlight for you to

write your hunt ball

invitations.

1

TESTED LAND ROVER DEFENDER (2020)

Q I was very dunked

The drive saw at least 12

punctures, three rescues

from thick mud and two

cable-ties required to clip

bodywork back into place.

“This is as close to the

old Camel Trophy races

as you can get,” said one

experienced onlooker.

Q Suits you, sir

Land Rover hosted the

debut drives of this car

on some of the harshest

terrain on earth: Namibia’s

Skeleton Coast, where

six Defenders journeyed

over 500km, almost all

off-road, to prove the

machine’s hardiness.

Q Brilliant!

All the vehicles came out

of the other side more or

less unscathed, making

miraculously short work

of the fiendish terrain.

Despite all the comfort

and cutting-edge tech,

this is still very much the

tough warrior of old.

Q Winch was nice

Fitted with the Explorer

pack, each Defender had

a winch, an engine snorkel,

chunkier wheel-arches

and a roofrack laden with

spare tyres, hydraulic jacks,

spades and myriad tools

for digging Defenders out

of sodden riverbeds.

We would have loved to test the new Defender in

Reading, but they made us do it in Africa instead

Engine 2-litre petrol, diesel or mild-hybrid

AWD auto Max speed 119mph (petrol)

0-60mph 7.6s (petrol) Displays 12.3in driver

display, 10in infotainment Connectivity Bluetooth,

LTE, 5G, Android Auto, Apple CarPlay, up to 7x USB

STUFF SAYS +++++

An absolutely epic 4x4

that manages to tackle

the tough stuff and mix

it with the most modern

of machines

Let’s off-road!

Te c h s p e c s

There’s no denying the new Defender is a major

departure from the much-loved original, but this

is a modern car for modern drivers – one that can

still handle the world’s toughest terrain while its

occupants relax inside. And the upcoming electric

and hybrid models will ensure the new Defender resonates

with urbanites as well as country folk. @blokesincars

Roverpowered

The infotainment system is

5G-compatible, while the dual

LTE modems allow uninterrupted

access to entertainment. Still too

old-fashioned? A Mild-Hybrid

Electric Vehicle (MHEV) option

will be joined by a Plug-in Hybrid

Electric Vehicle (PHEV) version

in the near future.

Rover your shoulder

Every variant of this Defender

can be specced with the latest

ClearSight off-road assistance

tech. Ground View uses trick

cameras to render the bonnet

invisible, while Rear View projects

a live video feed onto the mirror

(4). There’s even a colour head-up

display for on/off-road info.