Land Rover to defend off-road crown against Ford Ranger Raptor: Report

Updated Mar 10, 2021 | Same topic: Car Sneak Peeks, Teasers, & Rumors

A more off-road performance-oriented Defender could be in the works.

Aside from being named the 2021 Women’s World Car of the Year, the Land Rover Defender is also setting its sights on different matters. It turns out that the Defender wants to further cement its name as the alpha of off-road vehicles. And it seems that Land Rover already has its target locked on the Ford Ranger Raptor.

Land Rover Defender front shot

The Land Rover Defender

According to a report by Carsales, Land Rover is working on a more performance-oriented Defender that will go up against the likes of the Ford Ranger Raptor. From the looks of it, Land Rover wants to make the Defender’s off-road capability more extreme, more versatile, and more performance-oriented.   

The more off-road performance-oriented Defender is said to be based on the Land Rover Defender V8, a vehicle that was launched in February 2021. It’s basically a Defender that’s equipped with a supercharged 5.0-liter V8 engine that delivers 518 hp and 624 Nm of torque, making it the fastest production version of the said vehicle.   

The report added that the Land Rover Defender will not just get more power and torque but will also be fitted with a motorsport-inspired high-lift race suspension. It is also said to get a revamped exterior as well new tech to ensure its go-anywhere capability. 

Land Rover Defender river crossing

The Land Rover Defender can drive through almost any terrain

Jaguar Land Rover Special Vehicle Operations (JLR SVO) Managing Director Michael van der Sande did not fully confirm the said report when he spoke to Carsales. The JLR SVO boss is currently tight-lipped about the matter but said that the company felt “slightly underrepresented in performance off-roading.” 

Could that statement mean that Land Rover is indeed working on a more off-road performance-oriented Defender? We couldn’t quite say so. But you have to take note that JLR has purchased Bowler, a company that specializes in modifying production cars to rally-bred vehicles. Bowler has been modifying Land Rovers since 1985 and competes in motorsport events such as the Dakar Rally. As such, when you connect the dots, it could be possible that Land Rover is working on a more off-road performance-oriented Defender.

 

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Know more about Land Rover Defender 2024

Land Rover Defender

The Land Rover Defender 2023 is a British off-roader vehicle that is available in three configurations, namely the Defender 90 small off-roader, Defender 110 midsize off-roader, and the three-row Defender 130. It is offered with a wide array of variants and accessory packs, with the price being available upon request. There are various available engine options in the country, including D200 and D240 4-cylinder diesel engines, D200, D250, and D300 inline-6 diesel engines, P300 4-cylinder gasoline, P400 inline-6 gasoline, and P525 V8 gasoline engine. All of which are connected to an 8-speed automatic transmission.

Dimensions-wise, the Defender 90 is 4,583 mm long, 2,008 mm wide, and 1,974 mm high. Meanwhile, the Defender 110 spans 5,018 mm in length, 2,008 mm in width, and 1,972 mm in height. Locally, this British off-roader competes against the likes of the Jeep Wrangler and Mercedes-Benz G-Class.

₱ 6,310,000 - ₱ 11,890,000

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