One of the most important groups of buyers, which almost all car manufacturers try to please, is families. There is no shortage of options today – from compact station wagons to seven-seater SUVs. However, the offer shrinks if specific requirements are added to the list of criteria, such as “the car must be able to approach our farm bypass”.
–
–
Content will continue after the ad
Advertising
–
Today, there are very few SUVs left that are able to overcome difficult to drive places, ensure daily driving in the city and be a good partner for further trips. It is therefore no wonder that the new “Land Rover Defender, which went on sale last year after four years of development, came as a surprise.
“Off-road standard”, “legend”, “indestructible car” – such epithets dedicated to “Defender” since the beginning of production in 1948 have come from the farthest corners of the world: jungles, deserts and hotspots where the British army was involved. However, Land Rover already had something to offer those looking for a family car, so the decision to turn the new Defender concept in this direction was a real surprise to many.
The ascetic car, famous for its speed, did not increase the desire to go on long journeys due to its narrow practical application, and its successor was built following a completely different vision – it had to become an SUV capable of off-road driving, practical, comfortable and suitable for long family trips. . According to car connoisseurs, it was this conceptual turn that allowed the legendary off-roader to retain his old abilities and, on the other hand, made it in line with modern requirements.
“Compared to the ancestor, which I can bet on, more than one hammer stroke was used, the new Defender embodies a huge leap of progress. A little exaggeration, we look at the VEF I-11 aircraft and Ilona Mask’s Space X here.” “says perennial”Latvian Car of the Year“Jury member and” Tvnet Auto “editor Ingars Tenis.
Extreme index
Since its first meeting with automotive professionals, the new Defender has received many positive reviews, as well as recognition for its ability to return to the top ten in the world with a precise “blow”. The Baltic States were no exception, where the SUV won the sympathy of experts and in Latvia and Lithuania it won the title of “SUV of the Year”, while in Estonia it took the second place in the overall ranking. Defender also won the Top Gear Car of the Year award, a prestigious accolade recognized around the world.
–
Tennis points out that the most important step in the Defender’s evolution was the abandonment of the frame design, instead of choosing a rigid, durable load-bearing aluminum body and independent suspension of all wheels. This freed up the engineers’ hands and made it possible to create an incomparably more comfortable suspension. The car is built on the “D7” platform, which has already proven itself in other models of the group, but due to several specific improvements it has been assigned its own separate index – “D7x”.
The “X” comes from the word “extreme” here, because the engineers have put so much torsional resistance into the design that the Defender is the toughest Land Rover body ever, “explains Tennis.
A giant leap in the direction of comfort
The automotive journalist points out that apart from a few demonstratively placed screws, the new “Defender” is no longer a message of spartanism and austerity, on the contrary – it is a proud car.
Antans Juknevičs, a racer and a multiple participant in the Dakar Rally, admits that he was most impressed by these changes. According to Juknevičs, a full-fledged SUV must be able to prove its ability not only in difficult driving conditions, but also in the city and on long journeys. This is an important aspect because the SUV owner does not need to buy separate cars for different life situations.
“I think there are three things to family weight loss. Firstly, how many things can you take with you – is the car large enough? Secondly, when driving long distances, comfort is very important. And thirdly, you should not underestimate real off-road capabilities. “Defender” will be able to drive not only on highways, but also on country roads and achieve almost any goal. “Defender” gave affirmative answers to all three questions, “said a Dakar specialist.
Raimonds Zandovskis, a member of the jury of “Latvijas Gada auto” and the editor of “Delfi Auto”, jokes that the new model has finally become suitable not only for the adventures of crazy nomads, but also for everyday use.
“The car is comfortable, quiet, very spacious and has many modern” gadgets. “The most amazing thing is how the engineers managed to endow the Defender with high-performance driving characteristics and a sense of luxury, while not losing the robust style,” will impress “Car of the Year “representative.
The new Defender features a 10- or 11.4-inch screen and a Pivi Pro multimedia system that allows you to download software updates wirelessly and use an Internet wireless access point. The model has a Meridian audio system with 10 or 14 speakers, a digital instrument panel and a projection screen.
Zandowski points out that the most dramatic changes have taken place in the area of comfort. “It’s not really comparable. Now the Defender looks like a luxury car, not a tractor. The old car didn’t even have as obvious things as an automatic transmission. Now any engine power is enough to drive safely on a highway, and the adaptive chassis allows you to drive dynamically , while the old car sometimes seemed to overturn in curves, “comments the editor of” Delfi Auto “.
Vision of functionality
According to Juknevičs, travel comfort is determined not only by good driving characteristics or a rich range of electronic assistants, but also by a vision of functionality. “This car has a number of luxury attributes, but what I like even more is how carefully the space is planned – there are a lot of them for both drivers and luggage, and you will never feel crushed in this car on the road,” says the motorist.
Defender has received the maximum rating of five stars from the authoritative security organization EuroNCAP. The standard equipment of the model includes an automatic emergency braking system with pedestrian detection function and lane departure warning with trajectory correction. Another example of a technical innovation is the rechargeable hybrid helps to save fuel and drive in a more environmentally friendly way.
Zandowski draws attention to another aspect. “Off-road, the new car is superior to its predecessor not only with much more modern components and better geometry. It has very intelligent control electronics that take over much of the driver’s work. It gives confidence and greatly enhances psychological comfort. The driver can be sure that the Defender.” it will help him to get through both the stuck forest path and to overcome the bad road in one peace. “
–
