Years ago, a friend and I spent an entire afternoon in The Garage of his Muskoka cottage. We were like little kids, sitting in the cab of his dad’s ‘59 Land Rover pick up truck. Fueled by Cohibas and a soon empty pail of Famous Grouse, we pretended to be on safari. In reality, the cool old truck hadn’t turned a wheel in 2 decades. Now it’s been over 3.
The new 2007 Defender has definately been designed with that spirit in mind. The only real exterior difference is the addition of the muscular hood bulge, that fits over a new 2.4 liter diesel that puts out 120 hp and 265 ft-lbs of rock crawling grunt. That grunt is improved by the use of a new 6 speed gear box, with a lower first gear and a taller 6th. Talk about the best of both worlds, off road capability with improved fuel mileage.
The interior has been upgraded with interior bits scooped from the LR3 parts bin, better sound and 3rd row seats in the long wheel base version.
Now if they would only bring it back to Canada.
Press release and some great pics after the break
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In a follow up to the glitzy LR2 launch last week, Land Rover has released more details about the new LR2. Perhaps the funniest thing is that the press release seems to describe a first gen Xterra!
Land Rover press release:
Land Rover has revealed the all-new LR2, the fourth new model from Land Rover in just four years. LR2 joins the line-up of Range Rover (2002), Land Rover LR3 (2004) and Range Rover Sport (2005) that together have seen record-breaking sales performance around the world.
“LR2 combines the advantages of a premium sedan - such as polished ride, accomplished performance, an attractive cabin and ease-of-use - with the attributes of a robust SUV, including go-anywhere ability, toughness, stadium seating, cabin versatility and spaciousness,” says Phil Popham, Land Rover’s managing director. “We believe that no other compact SUV gets closer to blending these best-of-both-worlds abilities.”
Technical highlights of the LR2 include a brand-new 3.2-liter inline-six engine featuring advanced technologies to deliver a combination of performance and economy.
The i6 engine provides an estimated 230bhp and acceleration of 0-60 mph in 8.4 seconds (0-100 km/h in 8.9 seconds). The engine is matched to a new six-speed automatic transmission, with Land Rover’s CommandShift™ offering manual sequential gear changes when required. There is also a driver-selectable sport mode, for livelier performance.
Inline-six cylinder engine configurations are intended to deliver smoothness, and the very compact new unit in LR2 is small enough to mount transversely. The benefits of transverse fitment include improved interior packaging and safety performance.
The interior package of LR2 has generous head, shoulder and legroom, in both the front and rear. Large glass areas emphasize the spacious feel and complement the elevated ‘command driving’ position - a Land Rover hallmark - and ’stadium seating’, where rear passengers sit slightly higher than front occupants, for a clearer view of the world outside. Estimated cargo space is 59 cu. ft. (1670 liters) with the rear seats folded and 26.5 cu. ft (755 liters) with the rear seats up.
The exterior and interior design of LR2 is completely fresh, integrating the company’s unique design language with a form that is instantly recognizable as the latest Land Rover.
“We purposely kept strong Land Rover design cues, such as the clamshell bonnet, stepped roof and the basic form,” says Land Rover design director Geoff Upex. “The overall look is new and contemporary. The design is chiseled, geometric and simple - it looks like it’s hewn from the solid. We have kept a close design relationship with the LR3 and Range Rover Sport, but interpreted the design language to suit the requirements of customers for a more compact SUV.”
The body is a five-door monocoque structure, with a high level of torsional rigidity which benefits refinement, comfort and handling on-road as well as ensuring the vehicle is fit for serious off-road use. The suspension is fully independent and uses the most modern stability control systems, including Roll Stability Control (RSC ®), a sophisticated technology that helps mitigate the risk of roll-over even in extreme conditions.
LR2 is packed with new technologies to improve both on-road and off-road performance. Land Rover’s unique Terrain Response™ is standard, making off-road use easier. Other interesting technologies include a new intelligent permanent all-wheel-drive system for superior traction and better on-road fuel economy, and the patented Gradient Release Control, which improves driver confidence and control when releasing the brakes on steep and slippery slopes.
Other features and options include: keyless starter button, bi-xenon headlamps, adaptive front lighting, rain-sensing windshield wipers and rear park distance control. A standard two-part panoramic sunroof increases the cabin’s airiness; air-conditioning also comes standard and a full-color touch-screen DVD satellite navigation system is optional. A choice of top-level audio systems includes 12-speaker Dolby™ Pro Logic II 7.1 Surround Sound with fiber-optic interconnects. An auxiliary audio connection (for MP3 players) is standard.
Designed and engineered by Land Rover at Gaydon, near Warwick, England, LR2 is built at the Halewood plant in Liverpool, where outstanding build quality has been acknowledged with a JD Power European Plant Quality Gold Award in 2005.
