Land Rover made a lot of buzz over the world when they brought back the Defender. It is on sale in our country and now Land Rover has launched a more powerful version of the Defender in India. It is called the Defender V8 and it has been priced at Rs. 1.90 Crores ex-showroom. As the name suggests, it is powered by a V8 engine derived from Jaguar.
It comes with a massive 5.0-litre V8 that has been supercharged. It produces 525 PS of max power and has a peak torque output of 625 Nm. It can hit a top speed of 240 kmph and can hit a ton in just 5.4 seconds. It has a towing capacity of upto 3.5 tonnes. It uses an 8-speed automatic gearbox that transfers the power to all four wheels through Terrain Response 2 system.
Other upgrades include a set of quad exhaust pipes and 22-inch alloy wheels. The suspension and anti-roll bars have been retuned to provide a stiffer ride quality. This has been done to improve the handling of the SUV.
Also read: All New Tata Safari: Can a tall adult comfortably sleep in it? (Video)
The interior is also different from the regular Defender. It is finished in an all-black theme which gives a very sporty theme to the cabin. There is a V8 plack placed on the door sills and the seats are also contoured in leather. There is a V8 badge placed on the door and the brake calipers are finished in blue colour.
The rest of the exterior and interior stays the same. You get circular LED Daytime Running Lamps with LED headlamps that are a throwback to the original Defender. There are also other things that are taken from the original Defender. Such as Safari windows and square LEDs beside tail lamps. You can get the Defender in two body styles. Just like the original Defender
Unlike the original Defender which was based on a ladder-frame chassis, the new one is based on an all-new chassis specifically developed for the Defender. Many people were not happy when Land Rover announced that the new Defender was not based on a ladder-frame chassis but the fact is the new Defender is more capable than the old one and provides better ride quality and handling while being better at everything than the old Defender.
Other powertrains
You can get the Defender with a 2.0-litre petrol engine, 3.0-litre petrol engine and a 3.0-litre diesel engine. The 2.0-litre petrol engine produces 292 bhp of max power and a peak torque output of 400 Nm. Then there is the 3.0-litre petrol engine that produces 296 bhp of max power and a peak torque output of 550 Nm. The diesel engine produces 296 bhp of max power and 650 Nm of peak torque. All the engines come mated to an 8-speed automatic transmission and all-wheel-drive as standard.
More powerful Defender
There are rumours that Land Rover is working on an even more powerful version of the Defender. It is expected to be called Land Rover Defender SVR. According to the rumours, the SVR won’t be using the 5.0-litre V8, instead, it will use a 4.4-litre twin-turbocharged V8 from BMW. The power outputs are expected to be in excess of 600 bhp.
Also read: 3 Volkswagen Touareg 4X4 Diesel V6 luxury SUVs selling cheaper than 2020 Hyundai Creta
Source: Powerdrift
The post Land Rover Defender V8 launched at Rs. 1.9 Crores: Mercedes Benz G63 AMG rival first appeared on Cartoq.