Watch two 2020 Land Rover Defenders recover a 20-tonne truck
New Defender proves its capabilities as petrol and diesel models leap to the rescue of a stuck truck.
Two 2020 Land Rover Defenders have been captured hard at work, recovering a stricken 20-tonne truck during a media drive in northern Namibia.
The two pre-production Defenders were in Namibia for a pre-launch media event. The event was held in the remote Kunene region, where tarred roads are a rarity and dry, ephemeral river beds are often used as roads.
It was in one of these dry watercourses that the stricken Scania truck, which Land Rover estimates to weigh 20 tonnes, was found.
Putting the rated recovery points to good use, the two Defenders were able to pull the prime mover up the bank and out of the river, on to firmer ground.
CarAdvice was one of the few media invited to get behind the wheel of the new Defender, but were not on this specific drive with the truck recovery.
You can read our detailed review of the new 2020 Land Rover Defender when the story is published on March 25. Until then, any drive impressions are strictly embargoed.
What we can tell you, however, are some other details and specifications. The Defender 110 will be on sale in Australia in August this year, with a range starting from $70,000 before on-road costs.
The short wheelbase Defender 90 range will follow in December, with a high-specification P400 First Edition available in October.
The new Defender ends a four-year hiatus for the off-roader, which Land Rover sees as the heart and soul of the brand. In an effort to modernise the range (and broaden the off-roader’s commercial viability), the Defender has been thoroughly reimagined.
There are two different specification Defenders in the recovery effort shown here. The green Defender with white steel wheels is a Defender D240, powered by a two-litre twin-turbo diesel engine that makes 177kW @ 4,000rpm and 430Nm @ 1400rpm, running through an 8-speed automatic gearbox to all four wheels. This specification has prices starting from $74,900.
The silver example, with 19-inch steel wheels, is a Defender P400 S, which has Land Rover’s new three-litre inline-six petrol, which uses a conventional turbocharger and an electric turbocharger (powered by the 48-volt mild-hybrid electric system). It makes 294kW @ 6500rpm and 550Nm @ 2000-5000rpm. Pricing for this model is indicated to start at $95,700.
Both Defenders were equipped with additional options and accessories: front-mount electric winch, Goodyear Duratrac tyres and a roof rack carrying a 2nd spare (along with other gear).
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