Photo: Land Rover
According to the general manager of communications and public relations, the next generation of the Land Rover Defender will premiere sometime “around Frankfurt” in September. Tim Krieger didn’t confirm if the British automaker will use the motor show for the world premiere of the off-road SUV, but nevertheless, deliveries will start early in 2020.
Car Advice also reports the Defender has air bags for the independent rear suspension, an anti-roll bar, and aluminum control arms. It remains to be seen if disconnecting sway bars are also in the pipeline, at least at the front axle for greater suspension articulation.
On the other hand, we’re not exactly sure about those air bags at the rear. While this technological solution translates to more comfort on the road, off the beaten path is a different story altogether. Mud and pebbles can wreak havoc, and if we take the abysmal reliability of the Range Rover as an example, air bags aren’t exactly durable in the long run.
Land Rover decided to move the Defender from a body-on-frame to a unibody platform, and the purists won’t like it. On the upside, the PR department and marketing material both promise superlative off-road capability from the storied nameplate. The Defender now rides on the Modular Longitudinal Architecture (a.k.a. MLA), which has been designed for mild-hybrid, plug-in hybrid, and all-electric powertrains.
The MLA serves as a replacement for the D7u, which serves as the backbone of the Discovery, Range Rover Sport, and Range Rover. The Jaguar I-Pace is underpinned by the D7e while the Range Rover Velar utilizes the D7a. In other words, it's possible the MLA could replace all variants of the D7.
Based on the platform and size of the engine bay, It’s safe to assume the that Land Rover will offer the inline-six Ingenium in the Defender. In the Range Rover Sport HST, the 3.0-liter engine combines a twin-scroll turbo with an electric supercharger and mild-hybrid assistance. Output? Make that 400 PS (395 horsepower) and 550 Nm (406 pound-feet) of torque, thank you!
On the other hand, we’re not exactly sure about those air bags at the rear. While this technological solution translates to more comfort on the road, off the beaten path is a different story altogether. Mud and pebbles can wreak havoc, and if we take the abysmal reliability of the Range Rover as an example, air bags aren’t exactly durable in the long run.
Land Rover decided to move the Defender from a body-on-frame to a unibody platform, and the purists won’t like it. On the upside, the PR department and marketing material both promise superlative off-road capability from the storied nameplate. The Defender now rides on the Modular Longitudinal Architecture (a.k.a. MLA), which has been designed for mild-hybrid, plug-in hybrid, and all-electric powertrains.
The MLA serves as a replacement for the D7u, which serves as the backbone of the Discovery, Range Rover Sport, and Range Rover. The Jaguar I-Pace is underpinned by the D7e while the Range Rover Velar utilizes the D7a. In other words, it's possible the MLA could replace all variants of the D7.
Based on the platform and size of the engine bay, It’s safe to assume the that Land Rover will offer the inline-six Ingenium in the Defender. In the Range Rover Sport HST, the 3.0-liter engine combines a twin-scroll turbo with an electric supercharger and mild-hybrid assistance. Output? Make that 400 PS (395 horsepower) and 550 Nm (406 pound-feet) of torque, thank you!
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