Go-Anywhere 4x4
The Land Rover Defender X P400 SE Story and photos by Gerry Frechette
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t has be tough for a manufacturer these days to bring back a model that was so respected for its capabilities back in the day. A quarter century or so has passed since Land Rover last sold the Defender in North America, which was launched right after World War II as Britain’s go-anywhere 4x4. Why so tough? Because fans of the brand, and they are legion, would expect nothing less than the same sort of ruggedness and off-road prowess as the first 50 years of Defenders had. But much has changed in the auto business in the past couple of decades, and people want it all – luxury, comfort, style, performance....you get the picture. So, the new Defender would have to be many things in one package, the basis of which is an all-aluminum monocoque chassis; the bodyon-frame concept of the original just would not allow the kind of onroad performance that is expected these days. What does allow such a vehicle to be all things to all people is technology, and lots of it. To be one of the best off-roaders in the world takes a very advanced all-wheel drive system that distributes torque to the axle that needs it the most, with the optional Electronic Active Differential that sends torque side-to-side at the rear, a feature that makes Defender that much more capable. A two-speed transfer case does its usual thing for torque multiplication, and Land Rover’s latest Terrain Response System lets the driver choose the driveline settings based on the terrain encountered. The off-road settings include Grass-Gravel-Snow, Mud Ruts, Sand, Rock Crawl, Wade, and Configurable. If there isn’t something there that covers where you are, then you are on the moon. In our brief off-road time with Defender in sand and dirt, we were able to find the AUG/SEPT 2021 OFF-ROAD Plus MAGAZINE 17
