To have and to hold...
The new Land Rover Defender is a very, very far cry from the previous one. Although its launch in SA has been postponed due to the current world crisis, when it does arrive you can be assured that it will have all the safety features and the off-road prowess the outgoing Defender didn't, and then some! You can read my review on the heritage edition of the previous-generation Defender below.
Related: Channeling my inner-camel man in the Land Rover Defender 110 Heritage edition (2016)
What will it be... 90 or 110?
Whether you select the new short-wheel-base Defender 90 (which will only launch after the 110) from R 948 000 or the longer wheel-base Defender 110 (from R999 000), you will own a car that can take you to the ends of the earth, but which will be just as comfortable driving around town. You can say goodbye to the previous Landy's road noise and the bumpy ride, because the new Defender no longer has a ladder frame construction, and also boasts independent suspension. Throw some air suspension into the mix (it's standard on the entry-level 110 model) and stick with higher profile tyres, and Bob's your uncle over the nastiest potholes imaginable.
Related: Land Rover's new Defender finally lands
Safety spec and driver assistance systems
The Defender is equipped with six airbags, but there's so much other safety spec and driver assistance systems that will avoid a collision in the first place: ABS with EBD and Emergency braking, dynamic stability/traction control, roll stability control, cornering brake control, hill-descent control, hill launch assist, a driver condition monitor (aka fatigue detection), and lane keep assist are standard features. This is complemented by a 3D surround camera, cruise control with speed limiter, 360-degree parking aid and even ultrasonic sensors in the door mirrors that alert you when you're near the 90 cm max wading depth. You know, for when you're driving your Defender through flood-prone areas or African jungles, and such.
Fuel efficiency and reliability?
The Defender can be had in one of three engine choices: The P400, A 3.0-litre, six-cylinder petrol-engine with 294kW and 550Nm, the P300; a 2.0-litre, 4-cylinder turbocharged petrol (221kW), or the D240, a 2.0-litre turbodiesel with 177kW and 430Nm. Needless to say, the diesel-engine will be the most frugal.
Since we haven't actually driven the new Defender, we can only offer you the real-life driving data from new Defender owners overseas. However, we are familiar with the Ingenium two-litre 4-cylinder diesel engine in other Land Rover models, like the Land Rover Discovery Sport. Consumption figures in this model varied greatly (click to read our launch report below) between on- and off-road driving.
The diesel Defender will roughly give you a combined 30 miles per gallon, which translates to 12 kilometres per 1 litre, or +/- 8.4 litres per 100 km. How much fuel you'll ultimately use will largely depend on your driving style and what you do with your Defender.
Related: Land Rover Discovery Sport 2020 - First drive review
As for reliability, we don't have a clear answer for you yet. But Land Rover has tested the Defender "to destruction". It has done nearly 1.13 million developmental miles and around "62 000 validation tests, including extreme event procedures that test for repeated and sustained impacts", Land Rover says.
Related: How much are car repayments on a new Land Rover Defender?
Verdict
If you did your K53 driving lessons and practical driving test in a small hatchback, you might find the new Defender large and cumbersome at first, but you'll soon get used to its larger dimensions. Word on the street is that the new Defender has a serious fun-to-drive element for city commutes as well. And, with the help of the above-mentioned cameras, sensors, and other driver assistance systems, you'll be the king of the road in your new Defender in no time at all.
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(Have fun building your own Defender on the Land Rover SA site here.)
