LAND ROVER DEFENDER: THE WILD TURNED OUT A GENTLEMAN (VIDEO)

My surprise is over. I can't believe they civilized him that way. His Majesty Land Rover Defender already has a successor, and it is radically different from its iconic but slightly wild predecessor, whose toughness and off-road capabilities are legendary.

The Defender has existed as a model since 1983 and only now is Land Rover launching its second generation. In fact, the history of the model began 72 years ago, back in 1948, when the first Land Rover Series I was presented, the conceptual successor of which was the Defender.

Coated

The new Guardian is modern, high-tech, comfortable, agile and discreetly luxurious.

What does "hidden luxury" mean? Well, while most premium brands try to present you with very simple models like luxury by putting a few electronic gadgets, ambient lighting, decorative items, etc. in them, the new Defender goes in the exact opposite direction. This is a true premium car, built on an all-aluminum monocoque design, with the latest engines, transmissions, suspension and technologies from Jaguar Land Rover, which, however, masks this with more durable and extremely resistant materials in the cabin and a notoriously unkempt look ( e.g. open door bolts). The goal is to immerse you in the spirit of its raw predecessor, without depriving you of all the amenities that brand buyers are used to (there was even a refrigerator in the armrest).

Now I imagine how every understanding person begins to click their tongues and mutter that they have ruined this legend too. However, the truth is quite the opposite. Despite its fundamentally civilized nature, the Defender has become many times more rigid and off-road than its predecessor. Although no longer mounted on a separate frame, but an aluminum monocoque, the coupe is exactly 3 times stiffer than any conventional chassis. The reason is that its design is tailor-made for extreme vehicles and resembles a race car's shell structure to provide Land Rover's strongest architecture to date. And this is a huge advantage both off-road and off-road. There is absolutely no clumsiness in behavior on asphalt roads, but the ease of acceleration, cornering and stopping is typical for luxury cars. A huge step forward in this direction compared to its predecessor.

As soon as I walked out of the dealership, a slight smile appeared on my face - I thought I had been given the most powerful diesel version with a 3-liter V6, 300 horsepower and a wonderful 650 Nm - so it stuck to my place. . As if I was carried away by a headwind. However, it turned out that I was wrong, and this pleasant dynamics was due only to a two-liter 4-cylinder engine with 240 hp. and 430 Nm of torque. Great drive, perhaps thanks to the excellent performance of the 8-speed ZF automatic. Acceleration to 100 km / h takes a decent 9,1 seconds, and on a similar car weighing 2,3 tons, it feels very fast.

Off road

But what matters more to the Defender is how it behaves off-road. The new model also features a crawler gear, but its gearbox is now automatic instead of manual.

Needless to say, all-wheel drive is permanent. The center differential is locked and an active locking rear differential can be ordered as an option. Versions with air suspension have a ground clearance of 216 mm, which can be inflated off-road up to 291 mm. Thus, the car overcomes water barriers with a depth of 90 cm. And the system that scans the bottom and displays what is happening under the screen on the center console is especially impressive. Thus, if the water gets deeper than 90 cm, the machine gives a signal to stop moving. A similar tip is built-in technology that makes the front cover "transparent", allowing you to directly see what you're going through. The system displays many views of the outside, including under the car and wheels.

Another especially valuable off-road assistant is the assistant, which adjusts the speed between 1,8 and 30 km / h to focus only on the steering wheel when driving slowly and uncompromisingly on all sorts of shit. Terrain Response 2 offers road modes; for grass, gravel and snow; for dirt and paths; for sand; for climbing and diving with automatic selection of the optimal transmission and suspension settings for the terrain. You can also select automatic mode, relying on the vehicle's sensors. In addition, it is possible to customize the individual drive and thrust parameters at your discretion.

In general, the new Defender "beats" its father off-road in all respects. Comparisons show that it has better grip, climbs better, steps deeper, has impressively better cornering angles. I don't know if you understand how wonderful this is. Only the front approach angle has been reduced from 49 percent to 38 percent (for air suspension versions) due to pedestrian protection requirements in the event of a collision. His presentation on the asphalt is out of the question.

Under the hood

Engine	Diesel
Number of cylinders	4
drive unit	Four-wheel drive 4 × 4
Working volume	1999 cube
Power in hp	240 h.p. (at 4000 rpm)
Torque	430 Nm (at 140 0 rpm)
Acceleration time	(0 – 100 km / h) 9,1 sec.
full speed	188 km / h
Fuel consumption (WLTP)	Combined cycle 8,9-9,6 l / 100 km
CO2 emissions	234-251 g / km
Tank	85 l
The weight	2323 kg
Price	from 102 450 BGN with VAT