24hoursworld

Driving report: Land Rover Defender 90 V8: No more rough

Land Rover is now giving the new Defender a V8 engine. The catpults the comfortable off-roader into the upper class in terms of price and performance.

The V8 supercharged gasoline engine, which is already familiar from various Range Rover models, works under the hood of the Top Defender. From five liters of displacement it draws an output of 525 hp / 386 kW and a maximum torque of 625 Nm. This is enough – depending on the wheelset fitted – on the road for a top speed of 240 km / h and with the 2.5-ton three-door car for a sprint from 0 to 100 km / h in just 5.2 seconds (110 : 5.4 seconds) – that’s Porsche Cayenne level. And that ensures carefree sprints on acceleration lanes and when overtaking on the road. There is practically always enough reserve available. And those who spend more than 123,700 euros for a Defender shouldn’t really be bothered by the not very economical NEDC average consumption of 12.8 liters of Super per 100 kilometers or the CO2 emissions of 290 g / km.

In the past, with the classic Defender it was more of a physical ordeal to be on “normal” roads outside of the terrain. Tight and uncomfortable seats, crooked seating positions, miserable straight-line stability, imprecise steering, rumbling, uh, “suspension”. Airbags? What kind of bags? Braking distance? Available. The Defender has been through a kid of the post-war years all of the decades of production. The last “Landy” built was also largely based on the original Land Rover from 1948. More than two thirds of all Defenders ever produced still roll over roads, fields and through deserts around the globe – robust but rough.

The new Defender is now a thing of the past: it has become a comfortable SUV on civil roads. Easy entry, lots of space all around, comfortable seats – the Defender has arrived here and today. And it drives like that too. Exact steering, soft and precise shifting 8-speed automatic – nothing more with tactor. Solid stabilizers ensure that the Defender hardly leans to the side even in fast corners. The cornering behavior is further improved via an electronically activated rear limited-slip differential. Exact throttle response, snappy brakes, soft suspension, air suspension, assistance systems, connectivity. Everything an upscale SUV needs.

And in the field? The real element of the Defender? Well, inside, materials that are easy to keep clean or the numerous handles give you a clue. Nevertheless, you hardly dare to say it: The new Defender, especially the one with the power of eight cylinders, makes even better progress in rough terrain than its legendary predecessor. The eight-end has a dynamic program in the Terrain Response System as standard. This allows the accelerator pedal to be controlled even more precisely. The traction control has been optimized, the braking system, the yaw control. So he can get up and down even steeper slopes safely and cope with scree or mud even better. SUV or not: The new Defender, especially with the V8, is above all an off-road vehicle.

At first glance, the top model of the Defender series doesn’t look much different from its not quite so beefy siblings. It is also available as a Defender 90 with three and as a 110 with five doors, as well as with a soft and hard top. If you take a closer look, you will discover specially designed 22-inch alloy wheels and brake calipers on 20-inch brake discs that shine in blue between the spokes. Everywhere on the vehicle, special model emblems also indicate who you are looking at. And of course there is an exhaust system at the rear with four thick tailpipes, which not only provide optically but also acoustically what Land Rover calls “a sound that is as determined as it is authentic”: The V8 Defender is sustainably orchestrated.

And by no means cheap. At least 123,700 euros are due for the two-door model if you want to make a statement. With that you are already well priced in the regions of a Porsche Cayenne, a Jeep Grand Cherokee with a Hemi-V8 or a Mercedes G-Class. However, you can also get through the terrain comfortably and comfortably with the other Defender models.

Source Link

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Latest Posts

Girl raped, 16-year-old convicted

Girl raped, 16-year-old convicted

Image: VOLKER WEIHBOLD On the sidelines of a country festival in the Hausruckviertel, there was a sexual assault on a young person in May 2023,