New Land Rover Defender V8
Not everyone is announcing all-electric yet as we get to see the new Land Rover Defender V8. This is the most powerful Defender yet and will arrive with a new XS Edition and flagship Carpathian Edition. Both the V8 and XS Edition will be available in the 90 and 110 body styles.
We can also expect to see the new V8 powered Defender in South Africa at the end of 2021 with Land Rover announcing the price closer to launch.
Updated looks on the new Defender V8 and XS Edition.
If the noise of the massive V8 doesn’t give it away, the new Land Rover Defender will be set apart with unique badging, quad exhausts and massive 22-inch alloy wheels finished in Satin Dark Grey. Xenon Blue brake callipers will be very visible under those wheels.
A choice of three exterior colours will be standard for these models. They are Carpathian Grey, Yulong White and Santorini Black. The first two options will come with a Narvik Black roof and bonnet.
Inside the cabin is mostly the same but with much more premium materials. The seats are trimmed in Ebony Windsor Leather that features Dinamica suedecloth and Robustec accents. If the latter is an unfamiliar name, Robustec is a protective and high wear-resistance material made for outdoor activities.
The steering wheel also gets an Alcantara trim with satin chrome paddles behind it. Finally, that exposed cross-beam is now finished in Satin Black.
The new V8 under the Land Rover Defender.
Let’s get right to the star of the show. This new Land Rover Defender is equipped with a massive 5.0-litre supercharged V8 engine. It throws 368 kW and 625 Nm through all four wheels via an eight-speed transmission. Land Rover claims that this V8 will make it the quickest Defender available, sprinting to 100 km/h in 5.2 seconds and reaching a top speed of 240 km/h.
These numbers were taken with the smaller Defender 90. So the bigger 110 will naturally be a little bit slower.
It’s not just the massive engine that’s new, Land Rover has revised the suspension and transmission tuning too. There are new bespoke spring and damper rates as well as an Electronic Active Rear Differential.
A new Dynamic mode also features for the driver to select that will help “exploit the more dynamic character and handling balance”.
The new SX Edition will be what replaces the First Edition model range. Getting rid of a very popular derivative is not easy, but the number of new exterior packs that are available and an optional 11.4-inch Pivi Pro infotainment touchscreen will help.
As for the Carpathian Edition, not as much is known. Land Rover says that it will be “the ultimate expression of performance, durability and design, and represents the very pinnacle of the Defender range”. It will come exclusively in Carpathian Grey with a Narvik Black roof and bonnet. We expect to hear more from Land Rover this year.
Source: Land Rover
