LEAP OF FAITH

IT’S BEEN A LONG TIME COMING BUT LAND ROVER’S NEW DEFENDER IS FINALLY HERE. HAS IT BEEN WORTH THE WAIT?

- FRASER STRONACH

TO SAY the new Defender is ‘all new’ is an understatement. It’s not just new in every single nut and bolt but it comes from a completely different place in time and technology. Where the old Defender, with its separate chassis and live axles was an evolution of 4x4 design practice from 80 years ago, the new Defender with its aerospace inspired aluminium monocoque, fully independent and adaptable suspension, and complex and interwoven array of chassis and powertrain electronics is as advanced – if not more so – than any 4x4 on the planet.

What we have here is a Defender 110 P400 SE, where the 110 refers to the four-door wagon, the P400 to the 3.0-litre straight-six petrol engine, and SE to one of three equipment levels.

Next year, two different-tune straight-six diesel engines for the 110 are coming, as are short wheelbase two-door 90s with four- and six-cylinder petrol engines. Seemingly, after a short production run, the four-cylinder diesel 110s are no more.

POWERTRAIN AND PERFORMANCE

THE P400 is one of Land Rover’s new Ingenium three-, four- and six-cylinder ‘modular’ engines all based around common-design 500cc cylinders. The P400 is specifically a 3.0-litre petrol straight-six and comes with direct injection, variable valve timing and lift, and a twin-scroll turbocharger which at low engine speeds and loads is supplemented by an electric supercharger. The P400 also incorporates ‘Mild Hybrid’ technology.

The straight-six design was adopted over a V6 due to its perfect dynamic balance (no need for a power-robbing rotating balance shaft), cheaper production costs (less parts) and simplified turbocharging (more convenient exhaust and intake port locations).