The latest Defender may be boxy but its anything but square. We test it off-road.

Right now Land Rover’s design team is halfway through a programme to redesign the world’s most famous 4×4, the Land Rover Defender. The goal is to take the key elements of the iconic car and create a cool, new and modern version of a design that has remained mostly unchanged since 1948.

For the time being, however, the car remains the same, with its reassuringly old-fashioned, boxy, no-frills silhouette. Driving the latest Defender on the Roxburghe Estate in the Scottish Borders, it is clear that this Model Year 2012 Defender is anything but modern. Despite having such a large and passionate following – and I must confess to having a soft spot for it – the Defender is beginning to feel its age despite its new, more economical and, importantly, cleaner engine. I’m one of those people who would quite like if the Defender remained unchanged. In fact, I’d like it if Land Rover created a Defender for the 21st Century but still built this one for the loyal faithful.

Up in Scotland we are surrounded by some of the most beautiful countryside in the British Isles. But rather than having the Defender’s upright screen frame such a marvellous view, my colleague and I are driving on a specially-prepared off-road course in near total darkness. Winding our way through the mud and ruts of a forest, fording rivers, sees us in water so deep it is over the doors and across the floor, under our feet. At others the car slips sideways alarmingly as we cross wooden platforms before the Defender regains its grip and doggedly soldiers onwards. It is a little scary but a lot of fun. Okay, the course may be man-made but it still feels like quite some adventure. As a display of the vehicle’s capabilities it’s impressive. But more that that it leaves me feeling a little wistful, contemplating my unfulfilled inner soldier or Indiana Jones.

Outside, it is very cold and it’s a little cold inside too. It turns out we were rather more dressed for dinner than we realised and we’re underprepared. According to Land Rover, the Defender has a powerful heating system good for the most extreme climates. Based on its heritage it’s clear that the motor has been in some very extreme environments. But scrabbling around in the dark I realise that we made quite an error not turning the heating on before we headed off. Trying to switch it on in the dark whilst being bounced around all over the place in a car with such poor interior lighting is tricky. Once found, though, the heating proves effective enough.

This MY12 Defender has a new 2.2-litre diesel engine which replaces the 2.4-litre diesel of its predecessor. Though it delivers the same power, torque and economy it is a little cleaner, though it’s never going to win any environmental awards. Performance is similar, and the 122PS unit is good for getting the Defender up to 90mph (previously 82mph), though it’s certainly a leisurely pace to get there. Emissions have been reduced somewhat. The new engine emits 266g/km for the 90 and 295g/km for the 110 and 130. Engine noise is reduced too – thanks to a new engine cover – which does something to improve the refinement (although if it’s refinement you’re after this is definitely not the 4×4 for you).

None of this matters, though, because we don’t get the Defender above 20mph. Its performance is all about what it can do at low speeds. The MY12 Defender proves to be exactly what it should be: basic, albeit a tad less basic than its predecessor. It’s as rudimentary an experience as you can have driving a car.

I still love it and I crave a country pile just to have an excuse to buy one. There’s a purity of purpose and honesty about it that remains as satisfying as it always has and that’s just what Land Rover hopes to retain in the design of the new Defender. I wish them good luck with that. I think they’ll need it.

THE FACTS: LAND ROVER DEFENDER MY2012

PRICE: £26,095
0-62MPH: 14.7sec
TOP SPEED: 90mph
CO2 G/KM: 295g/km
MPG COMBINED: 11.1mpg

This article was taken from: cityam.com

The revised Land Rover Discovery 4 takes on the BMW X5 – which is the best big SUV?

The Land Rover Discovery 4 is one of the best large SUVs around. It swept to a seventh consecutive class victory at our New Car Awards last year, but Land Rover isn’t resting on its laurels. It has continued to refine the model’s winning blend of luxury, refinement and unstoppable off-road ability.

The latest version features a range of mechanical updates specifically designed to eliminate the Discovery’s most glaring weakness – its thirst for diesel. The new eight-speed auto gearbox promises to make it cleaner, faster and more efficient than ever before. It should be tough to beat, particularly in luxurious top-spec HSE trim tested here.

Few SUVs can match the Land Rover’s mix of comfort, seven-seat practicality and on-road refinement, but the BMW X5 is sure to give it a run for its money.

The BMW’s car-like dynamics, sporty interior and striking looks all help to set it apart from the SUV pack. And it’s already one of the cleanest big 4x4s on the market. Will that be enough to beat the high-flying Land Rover or will the Discovery 4 sail to a comfortable victory?

This article was taken from: autoexpress.co.uk

Land Rover’s 2012 Range Rover Evoque knocked us out — every single one of us — with its standout styling, interior accommodations and driving dynamics.

I’ve spent the better part of 20 years explaining to the uninitiated that Land Rover is a manufacturer’s name and Range Rover is a model name. With the introduction of the Range Rover Evoque, three of Land Rover’s four models in the U.S. use the Range Rover name. Why did I bother?

Replacing the LR2, the Evoque is a new model, technically a compact SUV unrelated to Land Rover’s three midsize vehicles: the flagship Range Rover, Range Rover Sport and LR4.

The Evoque comes in two- and four-door versions. Rather than separate trim levels, each Evoque is available with one of three option packages — Pure, Prestige and Dynamic — that represent different color schemes and interior and exterior design tweaks, along with additional features. Customizable elements include contrasting roof colors, 19- or 20-inch alloy wheels, real wood or metal trim, illuminated doorsill scuff plates and more.

A stunning vehicle
In either body style, the Evoque is simply a stunning vehicle that drew as much attention out on the road as any all-new model I’ve tested. The design says Land Rover, but it’s clearly something new, characterized by its rising belt line and a downward-sloping roof that, in many color combinations, appears to float because it’s supported by black pillars. The low roofline and squinty windows make it look like a concept car that’s escaped from an auto show — or a traditional SUV that’s been chopped after purchase.

The roof is roughly eye level for a tall adult, about 5 inches lower than it was on the Evoque’s boxier predecessor. The styling suggests an interior compromise, and while there’s some, it isn’t nearly what I’d expected. With 40.3 inches of headroom — an increase of 0.1 inch — the front seats are roomy enough for someone in the 6-foot-tall range. The only anomaly, which I recognize from the LR2, is the raised platform on which the seats are mounted; I felt my heels bumping up against it during longer drives. This annoyance might be my own peculiarity.

Decent sight lines
Despite the squinty side and slotlike rear windows, visibility to the rear is surprisingly good: Rear-quarter windows help you peer into your blind spots, the side mirrors are disproportionately large, and the interior rearview mirror provides a decent accounting of what’s behind the Evoque through the short rear window. A backup camera and front and rear sonar parking sensors are standard. If that isn’t enough for you, consider one of the option packages that includes the Surround Camera System: It has five cameras, including, most notably, one of the first true rearview cameras on the market. (It’s not just a backup camera that comes on when the transmission’s in Reverse; this one can display a rear view on the center touch-screen the whole time you’re driving forward.)

Though I love the rearview camera idea, objects in the display were definitely closer than they appeared to be. Even with the view zoomed in, the scale was more like that of a side mirror than the realistic portrayal you get from an interior rearview mirror.

The system also includes cameras in the front and under the side mirrors. Unlike similar features from Infiniti and BMW, Land Rover’s Surround Camera System doesn’t stitch together views of three or four sides of the car to show a single overhead view. The Evoque’s rear camera looks straight back, the side ones look down at the curbs and the front ones look toward the front corners for nosing into an intersection or parking space.
The touch-screen menu lets you select which of these views you wish to see at once, and some of them can be zoomed or panned. It’s pretty elaborate stuff that’s reasonably simple to operate, though some of the touch-screen’s other menus are cluttered and a bit slow to react. I’m not a fan of voice activation, but I have to say Land Rover is onto something by putting text of the available commands on the screen each time you press the voice-command button — an excellent training tool.

I was less enthused by the forward view in our test vehicle because it was equipped with the optional Climate Comfort Package’s heated windshield. As I’ve noted about previous Land Rovers, this feature embeds fine squiggly heater wires in the windshield glass that produce halos around street lights and oncoming headlights.

A conventional forced-air windshield defroster is standard, so I could live without the experience of a cut-rate Lasik procedure. Sadly, because of the feature packaging, to get rid of it I’d have to sacrifice the heated front seats and steering wheel, too …

Comfort and quality
Along with comfortable seats, the Evoque has an admirably comfortable ride; elsewhere, sport-oriented models like the Acura RDX, BMW X3 and Infiniti EX35 populate the small luxury SUV class. Luxury used to be about comfort; the Evoque still is, at least more than many competitors. Land Rover also offers an optional Adaptive Dynamic Package that includes an adaptive suspension, but the Evoque’s ride was so comfortable I had to check the window stickers to confirm that my test vehicles didn’t have the feature.

I tested base and loaded four-door Evoques. I found the entry-level interior quality to be pretty good, but not exceptional. The dashboard is covered in a synthetic material that’s padded but has an odd, rough texture and unconvincing stitching. (If it’s real stitching, that’s an even bigger failure.) Leather seats are standard, though, and if you want to throw more money at your Land Rover dealer, you can deck out the Evoque’s interior to rival the other Range Rover models: leather-wrapped dashboard, perforated or “premium” leather, pedal finishers, dual video screens for the backseat and more.

The optional backseat video system includes two wireless headsets and an elaborate touch-screen remote control that recharges when docked in the back of the center console. Cool stuff.

Snug backseat
The backseat is snug, no doubt about it. Adults will sit with their knees raised. In exchange, they get adequate headroom: 39.7 inches in the four-door, which is a 0.3-inch increase over the LR2. Compared with the two-door, or coupe, the four-door provides 1.2 inches more headroom in front. In the rear, there’s 1.5 inches more headroom and 2 inches more shoulder room.

What’s remarkable is how roomy our test vehicles seemed thanks to the standard glass roof. More than simply a panoramic moonroof, the Evoque’s roof is a fixed skylight comprising almost the entire ceiling surface. To backseat passengers, it’s as close as one comes to being in a convertible without actually being exposed.
It’s definitely more cavelike with the powered shade closed. (The shade is fabric, but it’s also opaque, so it doesn’t contribute to the greenhouse effect, as some mesh screens do.)

Small engine, big power
Also new is a 240-horsepower, turbocharged direct-injection 2.0-liter four-cylinder, which moves the Evoque with authority, exhibiting little of the lag for which turbos were long dismissed. No one in his right mind would take the LR2′s gravely five-cylinder over this. Aside from scooting the Evoque to 60 mph in roughly 7 seconds, it boosts EPA-estimated mileage to 18/28 mpg city/highway on premium gas, up from 15/22 mpg in the LR2.

The six-speed automatic transmission is pretty well-behaved, with only occasional hesitation, typically in Drive mode. Calibrated for high mileage, the Drive mode allows the engine to run at very low rpm while cruising, which sometimes produces a slight vibration. The automatic Sport mode keeps the engine clear of this near-lugging condition and isn’t a bad choice for normal driving, as some hair-trigger Sport modes are. Drivers can also shift manually using paddles on the steering wheel.

Respect the knob
I’ll be the first to bemoan the move away from conventional gear-selector levers and toward all variety of electronic switches that forfeit the tried-and-true convention, but I’ll defend the Evoque’s rotary knob as one of the best alternatives. Borrowed from Jaguar, the knob rises when you start the car. Once it does, you can operate it without looking down: Rotate three clicks clockwise for Drive, two back for Reverse, etc. The latest shifter abominations from BMW and others are a recipe for a wrong-way mishap.

The standard all-wheel drive is a smart system, and the only complaint I have is that it doesn’t seem to apportion more torque to the rear wheels than to the fronts as a default. As a result, it doesn’t enter or exit aggressive corners with the balance it could, but the Evoque otherwise handles very well. You forget how small it is until you toss it about, turn a tight circle or park it. At 3,680 pounds of curb weight, it’s a remarkable 575 pounds lighter than the LR2.

The standard Terrain Response system allows even novice drivers to optimize the Evoque for foul weather or off-road scenarios by matching an icon setting to whatever they see out their window. I didn’t drive the Evoque off-road, but it’s likely to outperform most compact SUVs in such scenarios.

Cargo and towing
Headroom may have improved in the Evoque, but you pay for its squat design in cargo volume. The LR2 had 26.7 cubic feet behind the backseat and 58.9 cubic feet with the seat folded. The four-door Evoque has 20.3 and 51.0 cubic feet, respectively, and the two-door is smaller still at 19.4 cubic feet and 47.6 cubic feet.
The Evoque’s towing capacity is 1,650 pounds for an unbraked trailer and 3,500 pounds for one with brakes.

Safety
Like other current Land Rovers, the Evoque hasn’t been crash-tested. The brand’s low sales volume in the U.S. suggests it never will be. There are seven airbags: two in front, a knee airbag for the driver, seat-mounted side-impact airbags for front occupants and side curtains that protect outboard occupants in the front and rear seats. Standard safety features include the federally required antilock brakes and electronic stability system. Blind spot monitoring is a notable safety option.

That’s all?
Review cars awhile and you’ll come to recognize a few observations — your own and others’ — that are always good omens for a new model. Chief among them is when people say, “That’s all?” after you tell them how much it costs. I heard that a lot with the Evoque. To be perfectly clear, the Evoque’s price rises quickly and steeply once you add options, and a loaded model hits around $61,000. But the two attributes I consider to be the Evoque’s highest points — its styling and ride quality — come at the base price of $43,145.

Land Rover missed an opportunity by failing to bring its compact car-based SUV, the Freelander, to the U.S. in the late 1990s. By the time it went on sale here in 2002, there were roomier and cheaper car-based alternatives. The LR2 has done little to light fires since 2008. With the 2012 Range Rover Evoque, Land Rover has made up for lost time. It looks like a winner.

Snapshot:
Starting MSRP $43,145–$44,145

MPG
City: 18
Highway: 28
Available Engines
240-hp, 2.0-liter I-4 (premium)

Transmissions
6-speed automatic w/OD and auto-manual

New or Notable
* New compact luxury crossover for 2012
* Two- and four-door versions
* Turbo four-cylinder power
* Six-speed automatic
* Permanent all-wheel drive

What We Like
* Appealing design
* Premium interior
* Surprisingly roomy cabin

What We Don’t
* Narrow cargo area
* Sleek styling may limit visibility
* High starting price

This article was taken from: newsday.com

WE turn the spotlight on automotive’s newest and brightest stars, as we ask the questions to which you want the answers. Ultimately, however, there is only one question that really needs answering – would you buy one?

What is it?

Land Rover’s baby four-wheel drive, soon to be joined by an incredibly chic Range Rover for around the same price. Now that’s going to set the cat among the pigeons.

The more conservatively styled Freelander looks like a smaller version of the incredibly exey Range Rover Vogue.

How much?

The price has gone up a bit. It kicks off from $49,990, but this is the top of the line model from $65,854 with some options that take it to more than $70K.

What are the competitors?

BMW’s X3, Audi Q5. Benz doesn’t have a model in the luxury compact sports utility vehicle segment, not in this country anyway.

Not to mention Land Rover’s just released Evoque.

What’s under the bonnet?

This one gets a more powerful version of the 2.2-litre four-cylinder diesel with 140kW of power and an impressive 420Nm of torque.

How does it go?

Not bad. We still reckon Kia’s 2.0/2.2-litre diesel is smoother. Land Rover hooks it up with a a six-speed Japanese Aisin auto. The combination has some turbo lag, but not enough to worry about.

Is it economical?

The auto is rated at 7.0 litres/100km. We clocked up 700km at a rate of 7.9 litres/100km.

Is it Green?

Gets 2.5 stars from the government’s Green Vehicle Guide, at least the previous model did. This one uses less fuel and produces less carbon dioxide so it’s probably going to do better. In comparison, the hybrid Prius gets five.

Is it safe?

Yes. Gets a full five stars for crash safety. Seven airbags are standard, including a driver’s knee bag.

Is it comfortable?

We’ve always had a bit of a soft spot for the Freelander (not the first one). It looks fantastic, provides comfortable seating for four adults and the cabin is quiet enough to facilitate easy conversation between the front and rear seats.

This model receives leather, electric seat adjustment as well as heated seats.

What’s it like to drive?

The high seating position and torquey diesel engines make this one a snack to drive.

Is it value for money?

Yes and remember although it does not have low-range four-wheel drive, it still has some serious off-road ability, with terrain response to tailor the drive to different conditions including mud and snow.

Would we buy one?

You bet. We had one of these cars for a couple of months and it was easy to live with.

Not only is it practical, it will impress the neighbours.

OUT OF FIVE

looks . . . 4
performance . . . 4
practicality . . . 4
comfort . . . 3.5
economy . . . 3.5
value . . . 3.5
safety . . . 5
enviro . . . 2.5
tech . . . 3.5
dynamics . . . 3.5

Score . . . 4

This article was taken from: blacktown-advocate.whereilive.com.au

Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) has won SMMT’s 2011 Award for Automotive Innovation for its prototype Range_e – the world’s first luxury Plug-in Hybrid Electric 4×4 with integrated V6 diesel engine.

The award, sponsored by GKN Driveline, was presented to JLR’s Chief Engineer, Hybrids, Peter Richings at SMMT’s Annual Dinner by Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Transport, Norman Baker and Rob Rickell, Global Engineering Director, GKN.

The Range_e beat off stiff competition from companies across the car, commercial vehicle and supply chain sectors to win SMMT’s second annual award designed to showcase the importance of R&D and the role the UK plays in developing global automotive products.

Commenting on the announcement, Paul Everitt, SMMT Chief Executive and chair of the five-strong judging panel said, “JLR has engineered and manufactured a highly-efficient and technologically advanced prototype vehicle that clearly demonstrates industry’s commitment to lowering vehicle emissions and creating exciting products for demanding consumers. This award champions industry innovation – promoting cutting-edge automotive engineering and design that the UK is famed for around the world.”

Receiving the Award, Peter Richings, Chief Engineer, Hybrids, JLR said, “Innovation and technology are the lifeblood of our business and we are delighted that our work has earned this recognition from our industry peers. Range_e demonstrates the advances we are making in cleaner and more fuel-efficient performance without compromising the performance and all-wheel-drive capabilities that are at the heart of our brand and we look forward to bringing its benefits to the market in the near future. The award for the Range_e project is testament to the range of skills, excellence and enthusiasm of not just our own engineers and designers, but the people in the research and academic organisations in the UK that have supported them.”

Sponsor of this year’s Award, GKN Driveline’s Engineering Director, Rob Rickell said, “GKN Driveline is once again proud to sponsor the award. As a UK company, we recognise that research and development of technology will result in innovative solutions satisfying our society’s demanding and ever evolving needs. By doing this successfully, we and others will have a positive impact on the environment, the communities and the economies in which we all operate. The finalists tonight demonstrate fine examples of developments that embody that spirit.”

The Range_e, which was unveiled at the Geneva Motor Show this year, impressed judges with its four different modes of operation, ability to deliver emissions of 89g/km CO2 and driving range of more than 20 miles in a pure EV mode.

On presenting the Award, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Transport, Norman Baker, spoke about the importance of recognising innovation within the UK’s automotive sector, adding that a collaborative approach across the commercial, business and government sectors was essential in encouraging new technologies and products to market.

This year’s Award was judged by a panel of senior industry figures, including Dave Salt, Chief Engineer, GKN Driveline, Ralph Hosier, Engineer and Motoring Journalist and Jon Beasley, Group Technology Officer,

GKN. UK engineering of the Range_e has been undertaken at JLR’s Gaydon engineering site and UK fleet trials began in December 2010. Earlier this year, Land Rover announced its plans to launch the first diesel-electric hybrid in 2013.

This article was taken from: 3d-car-shows.com

Land Rover is working on a raft of sensational gadgets that could turn the next generation Defender into the most advanced 4×4 by far.

Features include tyres with ‘on demand’ spikes in them – as seen on James Bond’s Aston Martin Vanquish in the movie Die Another Day – plus a smart key that can be hidden in a wristband, watch or mobile phone.

A super-advanced version of Land Rover’s Terrain Response system will use similar cameras to those used in pedestrian detection systems to monitor the topography of the surface ahead of the car. Along with data from sensors in the body, wheels and suspension, the information will be fed into a probability matrix to automatically adjust the car’s settings or direct the driver over or around obstacles.

A ‘wade aid’ monitor is also being developed which will add information from sonar into the Terrain Response system when the car is moving through deep water. It could also be used to automatically shut off intakes that are in danger of water ingress.

As well as the spiked tyres, self-regulating tyres are also under development that will use pressure created by the tyres rolling to ensure they are inflated to the correct level at all times.

Telematics will also monitor the status of the car’s systems via a smart phone, and also be used to control climate settings remotely or track the vehicle if it is stolen.

The smart ‘Leisure Key’ will be impact and water resistant (up to 50m) and can also be assigned certain functions, either to limit the user to opening the car or to restrict performance.

As you’d expect, clever electronic systems like torque vectoring and driveline disconnect will ensure maximum, most efficient grip to all wheels at all times and are said to be less interventional than existing aids such as dynamic stability control.

The new Defender is expected to debut in 2015, but Land Rover’s Research and Advanced Engineering team expect that some of the technology could be seen on other Land Rovers before then.

This article was taken from: autoexpress.co.uk

Updated premium 4×4 driven
Improved 3.0-litre V6 diesel engine
Economy 32.1mpg; CO2: 230g/km

CO2 emissions for the 3.0-litre V6 diesel fall from 244g/km to 230g/km. While that doesn’t affect the amount you’ll pay in company car tax, average economy improves by 1.7mpg, rising to 32.1mpg.

What’s it like to drive? Despite the Discovery weighing the best part of two-and-a-half tonnes, the engine gets the car up to speed with ease.

It’s quiet while cruising and the new gearbox is rarely unsettled. You can use the paddles behind the steering wheel to change gear manually, but the automatic ‘box always seems to be in the right one, so there’s little need. Just sit back, relax and let this big car do the work for you.

The Discovery remains composed through bends and is supremely comfortable on the motorway. As you’d expect of a Land Rover, its off-road capabilities are tremendous.

What’s it like inside? In a word, luxurious. That could be said for the current version, too. Changes to the 2012 Discovery are kept to a minimum.

The touch-screen graphics and the stereo have been upgraded. Eagle-eyed Discovery aficionados will notice that the indictor and wiper stalks on the steering column have been tweaked and the key fob is smaller – more ‘pocket’ friendly, says Land Rover.

Should I buy one? Prices have gone up by between £450 and £1250 and start at 37,995.

The Discovery is up against top-quality competition from rivals Audi and BMW and, despite the Discovery’s efficiency improvements, a similarly powered X5 has much lower CO2 emissions.

Still, there are few cars that can match the Discovery’s range of talents – motorway cruiser, family hold-all, premium exec and awesome off-roader. If you’re after that kind of multi-tasker, the Discovery remains your best bet.

This article was taken from: whatcar.com

Current Land Rover Defender production is set to continue until 2017, a recent Autocar report says, proving there could be more legs in the rough and rugged SUV yet.

One of the hurdles the current Land Rover Defender faces, like every new model vehicle that comes out, is whether or not it can pass ever-tightening emissions regulations. The next target for all manufacturers is the Euro 6 emissions laws, which are set to be in place in 2014.

In the Land Rover Defender’s case, its 2.2-litre diesel engine has already been designed to pass Euro 6 standards. This is said to contribute to the likelihood of Land Rover continuing production of the current model.

On top of this, the category into which the Defender falls could also allow Land Rover to continue production. A number of years ago the Defender was classified as a commercial vehicle instead of a passenger vehicle, this means it might not have to pass Euro 6 until 2015.

At the time of writing, the law states light commercial vehicles between 1305kg and 3500kg aren’t set to be Euro 6 compliant until September 2015, as opposed to passengers vehicles where the law will be in place in September 2014.

Another law-related hurdle Land Rover could jump allowing production to continue is the possibility of the Defender getting a pedestrian impact exemption for safety standards. However, a date for this is yet to be confirmed.

Despite all this, Land Rover is set to release the all-new Defender in 2015. Could this mean that both new and old models will sell side by side? We’ll keep you updated.

This article was taken from: caradvice.com.au

EDITOR WES RAYNAL: I remember going on the long lead for this car a couple years ago, and at the time I thought it would get my vote for one of the most improved vehicles over its predecessor. I still feel that way after driving this 2011 Land Rover LR4 HSE. The chassis and suspension are better and the interior is hugely improved with much higher quality materials, stitched leather and soft-touch all around.

This is a relatively new V8, or at least new to Land Rover (shared with Jaguar). There’s good power and torque here. The suspension was tuned for less roll in the corners, though it’s still one of the most comfortable-riding utes out there, which is helpful over Detroit’s potholes. And the off-road capability is off-the-charts high.

I’m still astounded at how much the Land Rover LR4 HSE weighs, considering that it isn’t all that roomy. The steering is so much better than in the old LR4–direct and way less wandering.

This is a terrific urban warrior that could climb up the side of your house if you wanted it to.

COPY EDITOR CYNTHIA L. OROSCO-WRIGHT: The 2011 Land Rover LR4 HSE was a great vehicle to have over a beautiful weekend. I had an event that was just less than an hour from home to drive to, and the summerlike weather combined with a strong and sturdy Land Rover made for a fun drive.

I liked the high driving position, which afforded me a great view of the traffic and pedestrians and helped to see potholes in advance and avoid them. But even over some crumbly stretches, the suspension never really was upset. The V8 was strong off the line and that power remained throughout the drive. I easily worked my way through traffic and around detours.

Inside, the cabin was full of leather and nice trim, and the well-bolstered seats kept me comfortable. All of the infotainment and HVAC controls are user-friendly and easy to reach, and the nav was simple to program and helped me get to my destination without issue.

While my travels over the weekend only involved suburban outings, I would definitely be happy having this LR4 for a trip to Michigan’s Upper Peninsula to explore the fall colors.

This article was taken from: autoweek.com

Think off-road and the first thing popping up in your mind will either be the Toyota Land Cruiser or the Land Rover Defender or the Range Rover. From conquering the Scottish Highlands to the Deserts of Sahara, these iconic vehicles have set legendary off-roading standards in their present avatars.

But time is change and although the Land Rover Defender has been one of the ablest off-roaders in the world, it is now quite dated (it was launched first in 1948 and hasn’t seen many changes), not to mention the crass boxy looks. Which is why Land Rover have now announced the Defender in a new avatar, called as of now – the DC100 concept.

The success of Land Rover’s gorgeous Evoque has inspired in the company a newfound focus on aesthetics. And just looking at the concept photos one can fathom as to what extent this holds true for the Land Rover in present times. As a true to core, Range Rover Evoque fan it was hard for me to acceded but – Hot damn, the Defender concept looks beautiful!

Needless to say JLR’s design team has really come of its own now and if this concept can actually build on the Defender’s serious off-roading abilities then JLR have a hit under their bonnets for sure.

s of now we are expecting a 2.2 Liter Euro V Diesel, that’ll be capable of 90 kW or 122 hp and a 360 NM torque. The outer body will be based on a lightweight, mixed-alloy platform that includes cutting-edge, sustainable, hi-tech materials taken from aerospace industries.

The new Defender will also come with a new ‘Wade Aid’ technology that uses sonar to assess water depth and advise the driver of the optimum speed to take when tackling it! Then there’s the Driver-activated spiked tyre system can be deployed at the touch of a button!

A hybrid and a plug-in version is also in the charts. Seriously, Land Rover we can’t wait for you to launch the new Defender. Till then I guess we’ll just oogle at the pictures.

This article was taken from: motorism.com