DIGITIZ-ING THE DEFENDER

Land Rover takes off-roading into the future with these eight innovations.

- Pawan Dhingara

"The greatest improvement to Land Rover's Terrain Response system has been the addition of an Auto mode."

We've already commended the Defender's breadth of ability, the way it massages the city grind without contempt. We've praised the ride quality, the silkiness of the engine and have been impressed by the thoughtful homages to the original - except for the perhaps the rear-mounted spare wheel which adds a lot of weight to the side-hinged door when gravity is working against you. Yet the one area we haven't done covered in detail to is the suite of of-road systems that adorn the new Defender; a mix of traditional lockers and new-fangled systems make sure there's something for the novice and expert off-roader to enjoy after 20 years of off-road innovation.

Aluminum Construction

New proportions signal a timely departure from a body-on-frame design and solid axles to an aluminum construction that endows the Defender with its extraordinary dynamic bandwidth. Besides helping to cleave weight in critical areas (good for economy and handling), the body still stands up to the same tortures as before and some new ones thought up by the engineering team, including slamming it into a 10" curb at 25mph, repeatedly. Land Rover says this is the toughest body in their history and we're inclined to believe them...

Making Splash