77
model is ultimately more capable in the vast majority of off-road
situations due to hardware and technology advances. ‘During testing in
Moab, our engineers were able to negotiate rock-crawling trails that they’ve
never previously been able to complete, including the Hell’s Revenge,
Poison Spider and Steel Bender trails,’ reveals Nick Collins.
Terrain Response continues to offer the familiar off-road settings but
now there’s Configurable Terrain Response – throttle response, gearbox
mapping, steering assistance and the level of traction-control intervention
can all be tailored via the touchscreens, and pre-configured in four individ-
ual profiles. The centre and optional rear locking diffs can be locked with a
swipe of the central touchscreen too. If that all seems excessively complex,
just leave it in Auto and the Defender will no doubt romp over almost
anything it’s driven at.
A wading depth of 900mm monsters the old model’s 500mm – though it
is identical to a Discovery’s – and for the first time Wade Mode is incorpo-
rated with Terrain Response. It even quickly squeezes pads against discs to
dry the brakes once Wade Mode is deactivated.
The latest ClearSight technologies also feature: ClearSight GroundView
lets you see the ground normally hidden by the bonnet by projecting an
image of the front wheels and the terrain around them onto the central
touchscreen. The ClearSight Rear-View Mirror can switch between a con-
ventional mirror image or a digital screen fed by a rear-mounted camera
- it’s standard with the optional three-seat front bench.
8
They took a Defender to the Nürburgring
Collins believably claims transformative gains across the board over
a previous Defender in terms of comfort and handling on the road. He
also reveals this is the first ever Defender to be tested at the Nürburgring,
though if there are lap times he’s not telling. Lambos can probably rest easy.
A platform derived from Discovery and such apparent gains in per-
formance do raise questions as to whether the old Defender’s unique
character can possibly filter through to the new generation, however.
Collins: ‘Because the D7x architecture is actually 95 per cent new, it’s given
Defender a character and personality of it own, something we worked hard
to inject while delivering new levels of comfort and safety across all terrain.
The old Defender was fun to drive but it was flawed. New Defender is fun
without the flaws.
‘Anyone familiar with previous Defenders will recognise key elements,
including the command driving position and the view through the upright
windscreen and across the flat bonnet, but the dynamic improvements ⊲
We rode in test hack.
Wading depth is
900mm – 400mm
better than beforeNew Defender