Technology is at the heart of the New Land Rover Defender

Land Rover has utilised the latest technology to give the New Defender advanced levels of connectivity, capability and convenience.

Built on the next-generation Electronic Vehicle Architecture – known as EVA 2.0 – it has been designed to underpin the digital revolution.

Land Rover has tested each electrical system to ensure they are robust as the rest of the vehicle. The New Defender has also undergo enhanced validation testing – Jaguar Land Rover’s most comprehensive development programme.

Alex Heslop, Jaguar Land Rover’s Director of Electrical Engineering, said: “The New Defender is a future-proofed 4x4 for the 21st century, using the latest technologies to optimise efficiency, enhance capability and revolutionise connectivity. 

“With plug-in hybrid electric powertrains, software updates that are sent over the air, and next-generation, always-on touchscreen infotainment, New Defender is every bit as pioneering today as the original Land Rover was in 1948.”

The New Land Rover Defender is finally here. Configure your own version of the reimagined icon here.

What technology is under the Defender’s bonnet?

The New Defender is available with a range of diesel and petrol engines at launch, with the advanced P400e plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV) joining the range next year.

For the time being customers will be able to choose from a pair of diesels and a duo of petrols, including the P400 MHEV.

Using an efficient six-cylinder engine, the 300PS petrol unit uses an advanced twin-scroll turbo and state-of-the-art mild-hybrid MHEV technology. The powertrain will harvest energy normally lost during deceleration and re-use it to improve efficiency. 

The Defender P400 MHEV includes a 48-volt electric supercharger with a belt-integrated starter motor, in place of an alternator, to assist the engine, and a 48-volt lithium-ion battery to store energy recovered as the vehicle slows down. 

Altogether it means the P400 comes with 400PS and 550Nm of torque, which will propel the vehicle from 0-62mph in 6.1 seconds, while its fuel consumption is 29.4mpg with CO2 emissions of 220g/km (NEDC equivalent).

The other petrol in the range is a turbocharged four-cylinder unit, which can go from 0-62mph in 8.1 seconds and has CO2 emissions of 227g/km (NEDC equivalent).

Both diesels are four-cylinder engines fitted with a sequential twin-turbocharger, which improves the Defender’s performance and economy. The D200 and D240 deliver fuel economy of 37.2mpg and CO2 emissions of 199g/km. The difference comes in the performance stakes – the 200PS unit drives the vehicle to 62mph from a standstill in 10.3 seconds, while the 240PS version will manage it in 9.1 seconds.

Each engine drives through an eight-speed ZF automatic gearbox and twin-speed transmission. The latter provides a set of low-range ratios, which gives the driver more control when it is required.

Saying hello to Pivi Pro

Making its debut in the New Defender is Jaguar Land Rover’s fastest and most intuitive infotainment system – Pivi Pro.

Its design has been inspired by the world’s latest smartphones, and is always on so it can provide instant responses, even when you first start your vehicle.

Accessed via a 10-inch touchscreen display, customers will be able to carry out their most common tasks directly from the homescreen, while easily customisable layouts have reduced the number of steps a user needs to take by an average of 50 percent versus previous systems. 

Even the new satellite navigation system is fast to start up, and downloads map updates over the air. It uses self-learning algorithms and dynamic guidance to optimise routing, while Smart Voice Guidance cancels audio instructions when you are travelling in familiar surroundings.

Pivi Pro also includes Apple CarPlay and Android Auto smartphone integration, wireless device charging, and Bluetooth technology that can connect two mobile phones simultaneously.

Combine Jaguar Land Rover’s next-generation infotainment system with the 12.3-inch Interactive Driver Display, and you will be able to configure your instrument cluster as you prefer. It can display a pair of conventional dials with chosen information in-between, 3D mapping filling the whole display, or you could have a combination of the two. 

Keeping everybody connected

Land Rover has used state-of-the-art consumer technology to deliver its connected features in the New Defender, including high performance Snapdragon processors and advanced QNX operating systems.

Customers who opt for the Online Pack will be able to stream music, weather updates and calendar information on the move, thanks to an integrated data SIM card. Choose the on-board Wi-Fi package and a separate external antenna will ensure every user in the vehicle can remain connected with the best service possible.

There are also a number of useful charging points, including a pair of USBs and 12V sockets in the front row, with one set located behind the Pivi Pro touchscreen. This is to minimise trailing wires when powering a dash cam.

Second row occupants also have two USBs and 12V sockets to use, while those sat in the third row will find one set of USB and 12V outlets available. There is another 12V socket in the loadspace, while customers can opt for a three-pin 230V domestic socket.

Technology designed to mind your Defender

Jaguar Land Rover was the first vehicle manufacturer to introduce a keyless entry system that is resistant to relay attacks, and the New Defender is the latest vehicle to benefit from this technology. 

Using Ultra Wide Band transceivers, the keyless entry system measures the time for the signal to be sent from the key to the receiver with greater precision. If it deems the distance to be too far the vehicle stops responding.

Customers can also choose to add the second-generation Activity Key to their standard key fobs. The new water resistant and shock-proof wearable device comes with an LCD watch, and allows drivers to lock/unlock or start their vehicle. It is now possible to secure or access the Defender with a touch of a button on the watch, or by using the keyless entry functionality – that will be available next year.

It is even possible to keep tabs on the 4x4 from afar, thanks to Land Rover’s Remote tracking application. It allows you to monitor its location, fuel level, whether it’s locked or unlocked, or even to control the climate control.

Lots of assistive tech

The new Electronic Vehicle Architecture combines forward-facing digital cameras, ultrasonic sensors and a 3Gbit/s on-board network to support the Defender’s comprehensive driver assistance suite.

The 3D Surround Camera gives the driver both a 360-degree view and new exterior perspectives of the area. The system provides augmented on-screen visualisations to improve the driver’s visibility of their surroundings when using Tow Sensing, Wade Sensing and ClearSight Ground View.

The Defender also utilises the ClearSight Rear View system, first debuted on the second-generation Range Rover Evoque, which provides a live feed to the rear-view mirror from a high-definition camera mounted high at the back of the vehicle. With its 50-degree wider field of vision, the 1.7-megapixel camera system can eliminate blindspots.

The Driver Assist Pack includes Adaptive Cruise Control, Rear Pre-Collision Monitor, Blind Spot Assist, Rear Traffic Monitor and Clear Exit Monitor. These are in addition to a comprehensive list of assistive driver technology including – Emergency Braking, Lane Keep Assist, Traffic Sign Recognition, front and rear parking sensors, and a Driver Condition Monitor, while the advanced chassis control system uses an ultra-fast Flexray network.

The New Defender is also debuting Land Rover’s Generation 2 Head-up Display, which includes video capability meaning it can replicate displays from the central touchscreen – such as articulation graphics to assist in off-road environments.

Ensuring the New Defender keeps getting better

Keeping all this advanced technology up-to-date is software-over-the-air (SOTA) technology. 

Up to 14 on-board electronic control modules can receive the software updates. Even in the most isolated locations, there is no reason not to have the latest software on your Defender as a satellite phone can be used to download the updates.

Software updates will be downloaded in the background and once ready to be installed the driver is notified, and they can schedule it to be completed at a convenient time.

The embedded diagnostics system will also be able to alert the customer to issues, and either prevent or resolve them automatically via a data connection instead of via traditional toolkit.

The New Land Rover Defender is finally here. Configure your own version of the reimagined icon here.

Gallery