Remember when purists called the new Land Rover Defender soft? Well, that’s come back to bite them with the release of the Land Rover Defender 110 Hard Top due in Australia this year. Set to become the commercial go-to for horse-float towers, campers, and farmers, the nameplate dates back to the year 1950 when the introduction of demountable Hard Tops gave owners added security and protection. Today, that theme continues with a commercial variant boasting clever underfloor storage and off-road credentials.
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Being the workhorse of the Defender range, the Hard Top receives the proven D250 in-line six-cylinder Ingenium diesel engine producing 183kW of power and 570Nm of torque mated to the latest and most advanced Intelligent All-Wheel Drive (iAWD) system.
Underneath, coil springs are fitted as standard – we loved them in our Defender 90 – or air suspension as an option. Ground clearance is impressive at 291mm, while the approach, break-over and departure angles of 38, 28 and 40 degrees are achieved at Off-Road height.
The biggest changes are found in the rear of the vehicle. You’ll notice the complete removal of the second and third rows where under-floor storage has been added for safety and convenience. A ClearSight Rear View mirror system (camera mirror) preserves rearward visibility when the jump seat is occupied, or when the load space is full. We can’t help but think how one of these would look outfitted with a full camper setup… hmm.
Designed to pull trailers, the Land Rover Defender 110 Hard Top has a towing capacity of up to 3,500kg. While the vehicle also features the full raft of towing software, including Land Rover’s intelligent Advanced Tow Assist system that turns the dial on the centre console into a pseudo steering wheel for precise movements. Combine this with the 3D Surround Camera system and we can’t think of a better towing solution in this category.
In terms of pricing, the new Defender 110 Hard Top will join the range at $110,000 AUD plus on-road costs. That’s roughly $10,000 more expensive than the P400 S model with the more powerful (294kW/550Nm) engine, priced from $99,500 AUD plus on-road costs.
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