In exterior terms only the bonnet is different, along with revised badging that sees the Land Rover brand name on the front and the Defender identifier on the back.
In its 60th year in production, some 1.9 million Defenders have been built. About three quarters of all those are still running.
Defender is billed by its makers as 'the ultimate working tool' and as such is a vehicle which has always been bought for its abilities rather than for its comfort.
The vehicle's modular design lends itself both to easy repair and flexible manufacturing. These days production remains very constant at an average 28,000 units a year. In Ireland some 250 units a year are sold.
The new engine is a common-rail turbodiesel of 2.4 litres capacity, with 122hp and 360Nm available. Some 90 percent of torque is achievable across a rev range of 1,500-2,700rpm. Despite a substantial increase in power, emissions from the new engine are down by 6 percent.
The six-speed transmission provides a much wider range of ratios in both normal and low modes than the outgoing Defender. It also features a reduced clutch pedal effort.
Prices in Ireland are expected to be about 2 percent higher, version for version, than for the current car. BB/TW
