The Defender has always been a symbol of strength and the new model is the toughest and most capable Land Rover yet, combining a new body structure with world-first technologies and proven hardware to create a Defender that is fit for the 21st century.

The lightweight all-aluminium monocoque construction of the new D7x architecture delivers the stiffest Land Rover body ever created, with a torsional rigidity of 30kNm/Degree – making it three times more rigid than traditional body-on-frame designs. These strong foundations provide the perfect basis for the all-independent suspension, twin-speed transfer box and permanent all-wheel drive.

Configurable Terrain Response makes its debut in new Defender, allowing drivers to fine-tune the set-up of the vehicle to suit the precise off-road conditions like never before. The Terrain Response 2 system also includes a new Wade programme to provide the ultimate reassurance when driving through water by optimising all of the vehicle systems accordingly.

Delivering transformational breadth of capability and on-road handling, Defender is in a category of its own.

The core team of engineers and designers agreed the new Defender family would include 90 and 110 body designs, retain the distinctive silhouette, side-hinged rear door arrangement and include a central front jump seat at the very beginning of the programme.

Defender is truly capable of great things and the front and rear recovery points can withstand up to 10 and nine tonnes of pull respectively. During its global development programme, Land Rover engineers were able to complete iconic trails in Moab, USA, for the first time, including Hell’s Revenge, the Poison Spider and the Steel Bender Trails. Closer to home, the Defender met Land Rover’s toughest durability standards during testing at the global design and engineering headquarters at Gaydon.