the Bucket: Defender

Showing posts with label Defender. Show all posts

Friday, May 10, 2024

Bucket Seat: Land Rover Defender 90 V8 Carpathian Edition

When one thinks of Land Rover, the iconic Defender automatically comes to mind for most of us. Capable to withstand the toughest conditions and conquering any terrain making it an explorers dream. The Defender came in various body styles, namely the 3 door, 4 seater, short wheel based 90, the standard 5-door,5 seater 110 and the 5-door, 7-seater, long wheel based 130. All of which shared the same ruggedness and appetite for rough terrain. The latest Defender which was launched 3 years ago did cause some controversy with many thinking it wouldn’t live up to the legendary status of the previous generations but it soon proved the critiques wrong and has enjoyed much success in its stint so far. Having driven the launch edition 110, the Defender has since received some much needed tech upgrades and subtle styling ones too, I was keen to see how it faired to the one I drove 3 years ago. Last month I got to spend a few days with the Defender V8 Carpathian Edition 90 Series in Cape Town and this is what I thought of it.

DESIGN

I was always a fan of the design of the new Defender, while many wanted the boxy body to remain, I think the design team did extremely well in retaining the overall iconic Defender styling but giving it some curves to not only make it more aerodynamic but more appealing to the greater buying market. With the 90 being the short wheel base chassis, it does tend to look odd in pictures but in the metal it’s just as menacing as the 110 but also menacing in its own unique way. I frowned at a lady who said it looked “cute” and so did the car as it let out a ghastly roar thanks to the mighty V8 under the hood but more about that later. As mentioned there has been subtle design enhancements with it getting revised LED headlights some tweaks to the grille and some new paint colours to choose from, this one being the Carpathian Edition came in a combination of Carpathian grey with gloss black. The larger 22-inch wheels were also blacked out to give the car a really menacing appearance to the onlookers. A member of my party described it as the “ultimate doomsday spec” and I can see why. On the inside, the interior keeps that black theme but major differences come with the new infotainment screen on and other tech upgrades which we will talk about later. With it being a “coupe”, the doors are longer than normal so it adds the sporty characteristics to match the V8 under the hood.

PERFORMANCE

As you can tell I couldn’t wait long enough to get to this part of the review. The turbo charged V8, *sigh* I miss it oh so much, that loud grunt as you plant your foot down on the accelerator to meet the floor, summoning all 625Nm of torque to propel forward as it maximises the 368kW it has on demand to reach a 0-100km/h time of just 5.2 seconds! That’s a 3 tonne car achieving a time that’s equivalent to most hot hatches! It’s quite something to experience and while the brute power isn’t something that you would utilise to its maximum potential off road, it’s nice to know it has that for less tricky terrain making it feel almost like a rally car when navigating loose gravel roads. On the road itself the Defender V8 feels like just any ordinary SUV, high ride height which gives the driver a great view of the road and its surrounds, handling is easy and light, the nice thing about this short wheelbase model is how is it is to park, be it parallel or alley docking, of course the help of the 4 cameras is a massive help but all those aids the 90 Series to make you look like a pro every-time you park it. The 5.0L turbocharged V8 engine manufactured by Jaguar/ Land Rover is personally one of the best that I’ve experienced. I’ve had the pleasure of driving it in various models, and it all guises it has been superb. While being fitted in various chassis, the engineers still manage to tune it to each model to get the most out of it. It’s funny when looking at the technical aspects of the engine in the brochure received, when it comes to fuel economy it remains blank, then again when buying a V8 one doesn’t look at this but I can say I averaged about 15L per 100km, from the 90L tank with a mixture of driving. Off road capabilities are endless with the Defender, with it having all-wheel-drive, adaptive suspension, electronic traction control, roll stability control and dynamic stability control, making it super versatile in any condition. I has hill descent control for those steep terrains and hill launch assist should you need to get up over anything. The electronic air suspension works super well, automatically adjusting when it notices a change in terrain. The electronic active differential also does its job without you even noticing which what makes the Defender just as, if not more capable than its predecessors.

COMFORT

The Defender isn’t known to be the most luxurious SUV but credit to the guys at Land Rover, the new Defender borrows a lot from its siblings in the range. From the quality of materials used to the technology that’s fitted in the car it makes the Defender just as good as some of the other models in the line up. The interior still has a lot of robust materials that make the Defender quite versatile to handle its self out in the open. There’s a lot of good quality hard plastics that make up the dash and door panels. The leather while being comfortable is also hardy type which takes a lot for it to get damaged and easily to clean. The design is such that the cabin has plenty of storage space from the cubby to the floating center console with elevated gear selector allowing for loads of space between the driver and passenger. There is a USB A, USB C and power outlet available for the front passenger and driver with USB C ports for the rear passengers. Large cup holders, with an additional storage tray behind that and the arm rest which opens to a cooled compartment which serves as an ideal fridge to keep your beverages chilled. The rear seats can seat 3 adults but its recommended for 2 to sit comfortably, getting to the back is much easier than a normal coupe as with the extra height it aids in this. Dual zone climate control helps keep the cabin cosy and comfortable and the large panoramic sun roof allows natural light to filter in. The car is equipped with built mobile apps, that operate wirelessly which is projected onto the large 11.4-inh touch screen. The car came standard with Meridian Sound System which is great as always, so couldn't fault it on any level.

VERDICT

Overall, the fear of whether his new Defender could hold up the mantle that the old generations have built over the decades is quite clear. It can do all of that and so much more, it was time that the Defender moved into the modern age and this car does it perfectly, while this particular model might be a performance rated one, it still manages to do the hard work with ease. The creature comforts might be a bit much for the avid explorer but who doesn't need aircon when you're flying over dunes in the Sahara? Or keeping your tushy warm while pummeling snow in Greenland? Once the moaners get their ass in this car they won't know what they're missing out on.

SPECIFICATIONS

Engine	5.0L Supercharged V8
Gear Box	8-speed automatic
Torque	625Nm
Power	368kW
0-100km/h	5.2 seconds
Price	R2,889,600

*base price

Thursday, June 24, 2021

Bucket Seat: Land Rover Defender 110 Dynamic

When it comes to Land Rover, there's nothing more iconic that the Defender. The model has etched itself into the history books as the father of off roading vehicles, there is no path or terrain too tough for it, and it is why legendary explorer Kingsley Holgate chose this specific car for his quests. But as with most good things, it has to come to an end, you see for years Land Rover hardly tinkered with the Defenders design and chassis, I mean why ruin a winning formula right? Alas, with its rigid design and heavy chassis, not to mention its high gas guzzling engines, the EU were not too happy as this single car didn't meet their guidelines for the CO2 levels, so the Defender faced the axe. Thankfully the company decided to re-invent the Defender, this was not an easy process and at first it was done behind closed doors, the world did not know that a new Defender was in the making but soon enough word got around about this new Defender and the purist were not happy. In essence they had a leg to stand on, how could you recreate something so robust but meet the requirements in motoring? It surely wouldn't live up to the true Defender standard! I suppose that is why the research and development took so long, Land Rover engineers seeked out differently materials, to make the car light weight but robust and tough to withstand anything nature placed in front of it. Suffice to say, when launched, the world was amazed because Land Rover didn't just have a normal launch but rather showcased what this new model could do and since then it has been a hit. I was lucky enough to get behind the wheel of the new 110 in April, this is what I thought of the new Defender.

DESIGN

Lets be honest, the old Defender wasn't much to look at, at best it was a box with wheels and something a 5 year old could draw almost to detail. While the later models did have design tweaks to make it look more appealing, there was hardly anything aerodynamic about it. This new one however follows the same design principals of the old one but somehow they manage to make it look amazing, the overall structure still seems ridged but with subtle folds and curves, making the car as a whole look softer and definitely has enhanced its aerodynamics. It is almost as if the designers designed the outer shell first and sort of made everything else just fit in. Take the front headlamps for example, the taper follows from the bend of the bonnet straight down and the lamps seem to be placed inside that mold with a cut out for the beams. The front end is very minimalistic but has that bold stature to it, the front mud splash plate with perforations in brushed aluminum breaks the monotone paint of the front end as well as the single bar grille which has the Land Rover badge prominent on the side. The wheel arches are accentuated by the robust black plastic outer covers, ensuring that the paint work doesn't get damaged should you run into some tight spaces. The iconic side vent is also featured just behind the front wheel arch. Speaking of iconic designs, much of the old has been replicated in this new model, like the sky light wells on the roof bend as well solid square panel that separates the rear window to that of the boot. The straight edge back is also prominent but with the new LED tail light design just gives it that modern feel. The large 18" rims fitting with All-Terrain tyres makes this brute look all the more intimidating. Land Rover really have done a stunning job on this redesign and it had people turning heads everywhere I went.

PERFORMANCE

This particular model was powered with the 2.0L diesel motor which was more than adequate to propel this monster. Power output on the motor was 177kW with 500Nm of torque, while those figures might not seem that great for a big van like this, I assure you, the Defender on the road is no slouch. Even with its 2.3 tones weight, it is quick off the line achieving a 0-100km/h time of 9.1 seconds. Max speed is topped out at 188km/h which you may find funny but with this diesel engine, it picks up speed over 100km/h quite fast, so if you don't really watch you could very well reach that speed sooner than you realise it! Being an all-wheel drive pure off-roader, we had to put it through its pace on the rugged terrain. What was suppose to be a 2 hours game drive in the picturesque Pilanesberg National Park, turned into 6 hours just because we were having so much fun driving it around the dirt roads. Getting to areas where people spotted game was bliss with the Defender as it navigated its way around crevices, potholes, rocks and loose gravel. The car just gripped and went, there was nothing too difficult for it to go over and hardly had me breaking a sweat. There wasn't much spots to test out the wading depth, plus I didn't want to disturb any of the Hippo's in the water but Land Rover claim a wading depth of 900mm with the air suspension.

TECHNOLGY

Being one of the latest models from Land Rover, the cabin isn't kitted out in multiple screens like the Range Rovers or Discovery's, the cabin is as minimalistic as the original, the 10" touchscreen looks small just because of the sheer size of the dash but has amazing features such as the interactive driver display, smartphone pack which has built in mobile apps. When it comes to technology to assist the driver, the Land Rover Defender comes with all the safety features cars this size should have and whole lot more, such as lane keep assist, blind spot monitoring as well as park assist to help park this boat. The 3D surround camera assists off road too as the Defender even has a camera under the chassis, which allows you to change views to avoid obstacles under the car. Its extremely impressive as real time so that you are seeing what you are actually driving over. The Defender comes with LED headlights with auto high-beam assist, which I always vouch for on new cars. The side mirrors are heated and electric with power fold should you need to tuck it away to avoid obstacles or just to keep it neat when parked. It also has approach lights with the Defender logo when unlocked. An awesome feature to the Defender has to be the rear camera which is mounted on the fin, which is activated when you flip the switch on your review mirror. This is added should the drivers vision be obstructed, by either his load or dirt, this will be a method to still see the rear.

COMFORT

When it comes to big SUV's like this, which are purpose built to travel on the roads less ventured, comfort isn't high up on the list of things it should be but that is where you are wrong. The Defender is super comfy and while it might not be as luxurious as its sibling the Range Rover, it's built with robust materials, from the dash to the seats, making use of easy to clean but also very durable fabrics, leathers and plastics. The shell itself is plaster, this is so if the cabin does get flooded, its easy to clean and dry. The leather seats are practically water proof and you hardly will see any stains. The car comes with three zone climate control, with the front driver and passenger getting the dual zone while the rear passengers can battle it out to what temperature they want. The sound system is pretty decent too, with a multi speaker hifi quality sound throughout the cabin. Luggage capacity of the Defender is brilliant, because of the width of the car, you can load so much more into it. Golf bags can fit horizontally at the back making a trip to the course with a four ball so pleasant. On the road, the ride is extremely soft and comfortable thanks to the air suspension, and because of the tight seal on the cabin, you don't even get the road noise from the all-terrain tyres when traveling on tar roads. Speed bumps are like a joke to this thing, not that I advise you to drive fast over them, but its nice to know that it hardly shakes the Defender.

VERDICT

So the big question is, has this new Defender lived up to its critics as being a fitting example to where the badge? The short answer is yes, it definitely has. There is only so much I can write about to convince you about this car, the proof is getting behind the wheel of it and seeing exactly what it can do. While I didn't even do half the things this car is capable of doing, I am thoroughly impressed by it, I do plan on taking it through Land Rovers off-road track at their experience centre in Joburg soon, just so I can have more fun with it but overall, what a sublime vehicle it is, it's going to write its own legacy and be one of the greats just like the Defenders of the past.