The next-generation Defender is inching closer to a reveal.
Land Rover has announced that the all-new Defender’s prototype fleet has surpassed 1.2 million kilometers of testing. This comprises trials done across all types of extreme terrain, executive director of product engineering Nick Rogers says, making this vehicle “the toughest and most capable Land Rover ever made.”
Camouflaged units of the Defender have traversed the globe over the course of the off-roader’s development period. This includes rock crawling and dirt-road testing in Death Valley, sand capability and climate trials in Dubai, and strength and durability tests in Belgium. Other countries the Defender has visited include Spain, Italy, and France, among others.
By the time the vehicle is revealed later this year, it would’ve completed over 45,000 tests, reaching a maximum altitude of 10,000ft. In commemoration of Land Rover Day, the prototype will now undergo testing and support conservation work at the Borana Conservancy in Kenya with the Tusk Trust.
“The incredible opportunity to put it to the test in the field, supporting operations at the Borana Conservancy in Kenya, with Tusk, will allow our engineers to verify that we are meeting this target as we enter the final phase of our development program,” Rogers added.
The all-new Defender will be produced at the newly opened Land Rover manufacturing facility in Nitra, Slovakia. Are you as hyped for its reveal as we are?
