Modern Design, Comfort, Off-Road Capability, Personalisation
Almost Range Rover money, LR’s Reliability Record
After waiting for years to be able to experience and drive this automotive legend right here in India – I must admit that it’s been worth the wait. The Defender is at the pinnacle of Land Rover’s foundation of building vehicles that are so capable in all terrains, that they go well beyond the normal needs of most buyers. But only one in maybe a thousand would be using its capability to the max. For the most part then, it’ll carry mountains of luggage, fit in your extra-large family, transport you in luxury-car levels of comfort between home and your factory or farm house, and with those very same qualities of versatility and ruggedness it will shrug off the dirt and wet too if you ever feel adventurous enough. With prices of higher trims touching a crore of rupees, it sandwiches the new Defender between its own brethren (the Range Rover Sport, the Discovery), serious off-roaders (the Wrangler and the G-Wagon) and luxury 7 seater SUV’s (the Merc GLS, a Volvo XC 90 or even the upcoming Audi Q7). And that’s where it’s a bit of a puzzle to justify a seriously expensive off-roader in a country where back seat comfort & luxury has precedence over off-road ability. But if you’re someone looking for a rugged alternative to a full-size Range Rover (or even a Discovery), and you can make max use of it– there’s nothing else to match the new Defender.
