Defender of the faith: Land Rover icon is reborn

While many welcomed the new Defender's sleek and modernised appearance, some diehard fans dissed it for looking like a ‘yummy mummy’s school wagon’. (Photo: Khulani Media)

By Melinda Ferguson

28 Oct 2020

Despite the whingeing of some diehard fans, the new Land Rover Defender more than surpasses the most stringent of tests.

When the iconic Defender was sent to the auto graveyard on 29 January 2016, Land Rover fans tore their sackcloths in collective grief. Having been around for 68 years, with more than two million Series Land Rovers and Defenders built, it truly felt like almost seven decades of the Landy legend had been crushed.

As the last Defender – a green 90 kitted out in Heritage spec – rolled off the production line in Solihull, Birmingham, the production home of Land Rover in the UK, the scene was almost biblical as the song Jerusalem played while tearful fans and media gathered outside the factory premises to witness the funeral.

While Jaguar Land Rover officially stated that the iconic Defender had been put out to pasture due to low sales and high production costs, all sorts of whacko theories emerged under the hashtag #WhoKilledTheDefender.

What was clear was that Defender fans were grief-stricken. I was pretty gutted myself. I’d spent many joyful hours in a large cream 1980s 110, and although I found it really heavy to drive with its enormous steering wheel and cumbersome gearbox – often bruising my elbows on the unforgiving doors – I loved the Landy.

Fans were not comforted when JLR boss Ralph Speth tried to reassure the congregation at the official ceremony marking the end of production. “This is not the end of the Defender. Far from it. We merely pause.”

The new Land Rover Defender mocks all obstacles thrown in its path by way of its critically acclaimed Terrain Response 2 system. (Photo: Khulani Media)

And pause we did – for almost four long years before the new Defender was unveiled in 2019 at the Frankfurt Motor Show in one of the most anticipated rebranded launches in automotive history.

JLR had a ginormous task on their hands to impress the purists. In an oft-quoted speech, Gerry McGovern, Land Rover’s chief design officer, said, “The new Defender is respectful of its past but is not harnessed by it.”

Based purely on its looks, the response was mixed.

While many welcomed its sleek and modernised appearance, some diehard fans dissed it for looking like a “yummy mummy’s school wagon”, complaining that the slick new interiors were out of touch with the iconic car’s rugged past.

Well aware that the new Defender would suffer intense scrutiny from traditionalists, McGovern had his hands full defending his new offering to the media.

“This is a hero vehicle, a freaking hero vehicle. We don’t want to water it down... The reality is, as good as the Defender was and people fell in love with it all over the world, it was designed for a different time.

Kingsley Holgate. (Photo: Khulani Media)

“The world has changed massively since then, and this vehicle had to change as it had to address all the hygiene factors that the other couldn’t. That is partly why the old [Defender] had to stop. Partly because of emissions, comfort, safety... all those things had to be addressed.”

Covid-19 delayed the local launch of the new Defender, which was originally planned to hit showrooms in early 2020. By July JLR was logging eager customer orders.

By August the new Defender had landed, available in three engine derivatives: the diesel D240, underpinned by a 2.0-litre 4-cylinder twin-turbocharged motor, (177kW and 430Nm), achieving 0-100km/h in nine seconds.

The P300 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbocharged petrol motor (221kW and 400Nm) reaches 0-100km/h in a slightly faster eight seconds.

The top of the range P400, with its powerful 3.0-litre six-cylinder turbocharged petrol with mild-hybrid (MHEV) engine technology, (294kW and 523 Nm) is by far the fastest new Defender, sprinting 0-100 km/h in just six seconds.

All derivatives feature all-wheel drive and eight-speed automatic gearboxes. There are a variety of trim levels, from the top of the range Defender X models, as well as Standard, S, SE and HSE specification packs. There’s also an exclusive First Edition model for the moneyed purists.

All Land Rover Defender derivatives feature all-wheel drive and eight-speed automatic gearboxes. (Photo: Khulani Media)

In September I took delivery of the new D240 to test it for five days. Boy, did I initially have mixed feelings – almost like I was cheating on an old lover – but I also know that nostalgia is a counterproductive emotion so I wiped my old Defender rose-tinted specs and approached the new Landy with an open heart.

In the metal flesh, the design is genius. It’s managed to masterfully blend the old and new, evoking a bit of the old box shape but, with its refreshingly subtle curves, the 2020 Defender has achieved its own identity and solid aesthetic.

The interior of the Defender is impressive.

The wide and spacious cabin is a near-perfect blend of retro and modern functionality. There’s loads of head and legroom, especially for rear passengers. There’s also a third row and a six-seat option, with a folding jump seat in the centre of the front row.

As an ode to its heritage of usability, storage is on point with a deep central storage bin that can be configured for different purposes... There’s a long shelf that runs the width of the instrument panel and a whole lot of deep door pockets.

The layout is simple and user-friendly with the Pivi Pro touchscreen infotainment system located in the centre of the fascia, along with all the 4x4 assistance systems on display.

Driving the D240 on-road soon won me over. There is nothing brutish, unruly or overly urgent about it, like many other sporty SUVs. It feels a lot like a luxury SUV, offering a smooth and fluid drive with no shudders, shakes or wind noise. Cruising over speed bumps is a cinch as the all-new chassis absorbs hard shocks and uneven surfaces.

But what’s it like off-road? That’s where the Defender has always been king.

Last week I was invited to join Land Rover for an expedition along the West Coast and deep into the Northern Cape to meet up with the legendary Kingsley Holgate, his son Ross and grandson Tristan who have for the last few months been navigating the edge of our country on a 70-day, 10,000km Mzanzi Edge Covid-19 humanitarian mission.

As we travelled in a fleet of D240s and the top-of-the-range P400s to meet up with three generations of Holgates, much of the route consisted of hardcore gravel, dirt and rocky road. The Defender was clearly happy on the terrain it was made for.

Driving the D240 on-road soon won me over. There is nothing brutish, unruly or overly urgent about it, like many other sporty SUVs. It feels a lot like a luxury SUV, offering a smooth and fluid drive with no shudders, shakes or wind noise. (Photo: Khulani Media)

This is an off-road beast, hungry to conquer steep descents and ascents, sand, rock, mud and water (with a wading depth of 900mm). It mocks all obstacles thrown in its path by way of its critically acclaimed Terrain Response 2 system.

Brand new is Land Rover’s All-Terrain Progress Control which allows you to check the outside view of your Defender, while ClearSight Ground View helps you to keep track of your route if you’re trying to navigate a particularly sharp ascent.

For the off-road fanatics, the launch and traction control systems, the slow-speed throttle control and the nifty underbody cameras will assist in making mincemeat of the most challenging terrain.

Around a campfire in the Cederberg, Kingsley Holgate regaled us with stories of the family’s recent travels. But it was the tale told by his son Ross that captured my off-road heart.

While many welcomed the new Defender's sleek and modernised appearance, some diehard fans dissed it for looking like a ‘yummy mummy’s school wagon’. (Photo: Khulani Media)

A few weeks earlier, the Holgates had navigated the notorious Road to Hell pass in the Northern Cape, about 36km from Vioolsdrif, in a convoy of an old Defender 130, a previous generation 110 and the new P400 Defender.

It’s known by off-roaders as one of the most treacherous and impenetrable passes in the country. The route is a dead-end on to the banks of the Orange River, then one has to retrace the way back up again, which is where things get really challenging.

Littered with large rocks and brutally steep gradients, there are many respected off-road vehicles like Rangers, Prados and Hiluxes whose remains have been left to the vultures. According to Ross Holgate, when things got really hairy, the new Defender managed to nimbly rescue the rest of the convoy, conquering the Road to Hell like the thoroughbred off-roader that it is.

Methinks it’s time to wipe away those sentimental tears. The legend has a true contemporary successor. DM

Pricing:

Defender 110 177kW D240 Standard — R1,009,626.

Defender 110 221kW P300 Standard — R1,013,421.

Defender 110 294kW P400 Standard — R1,142,809.

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