The long awaited new Defender is finally available in the UAE form Premier Motors & Al Tayer Motors.
In November 2019 the Land Rover Defender visited the U.A.E. at the Dubai Auto show. There was a grand unveiling for all to see. During the show, I got to meet and interview Mr Massimo Frascella, the creative head of Jaguar Land Rover and ask him about the design process of how the new Defender was made. He was able to shine a light on the whole project and concept in a very different way. You can see and read about it here.
After this conversation, I started seeing the car with an entirely different thought process. The Defender has a long-standing history with the U.A.E. and explorers used the Defender before even the country existed.
The Defender has a cult following in the region and is loved by quite a few. Many people collect all versions of Defenders to date.
Welcome to 2020 with the new Defender. The older ones were known for the off-road prowess and ability to be mended by anyone anywhere. However, with the advancement of technology and manufacturing processes have let Land Rover reinvent an icon.
The new Defender has a monocoque chassis made from aluminium which is much stronger than the previous body on frame chassis making the car much more capable off-road.
With advanced software and engineering such as Land Rover’s Configurable Terrain Response system which debuts on the new Defender. This system let’s experienced off-road drivers fine-tune every bit of their off-roading experience and handling. However, for drivers who are not experienced with off-roading can leave the car on Auto and it does everything for you.
I know which one am I choosing. It also has cameras which can show you precisely what is ahead of the bonnet on the central screen helping you navigate the toughest of terrains this feature is known as advanced ClearSight Ground View.
The Defender also incorporates the new Pivi Pro infotainment system with a dynamic touchscreen. It also comes with Software-Over-The-Air (SOTA) technology. What is this system do? This system can update itself via 14 individual modules capable of receiving internet downloads to make sure you have the best performance from your car and reduce unnecessary visits to the service centre.
The Defender comes with two body sizes and two engine options at the moment. One is the 90 (2 doors), and the other is the 110 (4 doors). The two engines available are the four cylinders and the six cylinders with mild-hybrid technology. Both engines are paired to an eight-speed Z.F. automatic gearbox.
You can completely spec the car with multiple seating options, and it comes with various trims and packs giving you the choice of making your Defender truly yours.
The car is on display for viewing, test drives and ordering at the showroom of Al Tayer motors which are the dealers for the Land Rover in Dubai and the Northern Emirates and Premier motors for Abu Dhabi.
The Defender starting price, inclusive of V.A.T., of the Defender 90 is AED 232,470 & Defender 110 is AED 247,905.
https://www.altayermotors.com/land-rover/
https://www.premier-motors.ae/land-rover/
Pictures and text by Shivaum Punjabi.of The Cornea Impression.