Land Rover Defender. Ready for any obstacle
Land Rover Defender is an all-wheel drive SUV produced by the British automobile maker, Land Rover, since 1990. The 3 or 5 door versions are available. In 2020, the second generation 2019 Land Rover Defender SUV was offered on the Israeli market.
History of the legend
The history of this famous SUV began back in 1948 with the Wilkes brothers and the American Willys military vehicle, which served as the prototype for the first Land Rover. The Land Rover managed to serve in the army, conquered the African deserts, helped the sick and suffering, participated in hard country work and served the British Royal Family.
At the very beginning, the Defender was simply called Land Rover Series I, II, III with the indication of a wheelbase in inches. An unpretentious square vehicle, with a body made of sheet aluminum alloy, was riveted in haste with a view to its future use in agriculture. But the Land Rover became the very founder of the whole family of vehicles. All-wheel drive, extreme simplicity and unpretentiousness made it popular, despite the low level of comfort.
In 1983, the Series prefix was removed from the name, and in 1990, the car was named Defender after the appearance of the Discovery model. That’s where the modern history of the legendary Land Rover Defender begins.
In 1997, the Land Rover Defender 90 and eight members of its crew conquered Elbrus. In 2008, the Land Rover Defender 110 PickUp was the first in the world to travel from Siberia to Alaska through the Bering Strait. In 2012, two specially prepared Land Rover Defender SUVs made an expedition from Taganrog (Russia) to the northernmost point of Europe, the North Cape in Norway.
The first generation
The first generation Land Rover Defender was produced from 1990 to 2016, after going through restyling in 2007. And they even wanted to ‘bury’ this ‘long-liver’! Of course, in the 2010s, the Defender already looked like a veteran, but a number of engineering changes made it possible to repeatedly match it with increasingly stringent requirements, far from those applied to it in 1948. In 2012, it was equipped with an upgraded diesel engine compliant with the Euro 5 requirements. And it continued its service until it relinquished its post.
In 1997, the Land Rover Defender 90 and eight members of its crew conquered Elbrus. In 2008, the Land Rover Defender 110 PickUp was the first in the world to travel from Siberia to Alaska through the Bering Strait. In 2012, the SUV made an expedition from Taganrog (Russia) to the northernmost point of Europe, the North Cape in Norway. Defender is ready for any journey!
In 2016, Land Rover stopped producing the classic Defender, releasing the last Land Rover Series I-inspired vehicle. On January 29, 2016, it seemed then that the last Land Rover Defender rolled off the production line in the UK despite all its legendary history and universal love…
The second generation
The second generation Land Rover Defender has been produced from 2019 to the present. The 2019/2020 Defender lost its frame and solid axles, but retained its off-road potential: permanent all-wheel drive, speed reduction gearing, optional rear differential lock and air suspension.
Built on the same platform as the Discovery, the second Defender is 95% different from its co-platformer. The body structure still mainly consists of aluminum. The front fenders and all five doors are made of steel. The front part of the roof is covered with plastic.
Having retained the structure of the main power elements, the new Defender acquired a number of new amplifiers, in particular extruded body sills and different, more rigid floor panels. The configuration has been partially changed. For the sake of off-road qualities, the 2020 Land Rover Defender has a shortened front overhang, and the radiator package has moved higher and ‘deeper’ into the body. The rear axle is shifted back, which also reduced the rear overhang. It no longer has space for a spare tire like the Discovery does, which is another advantage for off-road capability. The spare wheel hangs on the baggage door that opens to the right, to the ‘wrong’ side for right-hand traffic. The baggage opening is considerably narrower for the sake of body rigidity. The ruggedness of the 2020 Land Rover Defender chassis is confirmed by a test for overcoming a curb 15 cm high at an angle of 90 degrees at a speed of 60 km/h. The new Defender easily overcomes even a 20-centimeter curb!
The new Defender easily overcomes even a 20-centimeter curb! And the unique integrated body helps the Defender become the most durable and reliable vehicle Land Rover has ever built.
The modern Land Rover Defender embodies 70 years of innovation and improvement, reflects the history of off-road achievements of previous generations, and is a truly modern vehicle. It is packed with innovative technologies designed for the travel adventures of the 21st century, distinguished by the ease of use, connectivity and visibility. The Defender is ready for any journey. The capabilities of the vehicle are complemented by the Terrain Response adjustable road conditions adaptation system. The unique integrated body helps the 2020/2021 Defender become the most durable and reliable vehicle Land Rover has ever built.
