The iconic Land Rover Defender

The evolution of Land Rover vehicles over the generations has been tremendous as it crossed through a lot of successions. 

 

The capabilities of early Land Rovers were simply endless and so very special, especially when considering the availability of machinery and advent of technology. 

The uniqueness of Land Rovers was continually guarded even in the initial years of manufacturing. One of the key features that attracted the attention of many in owning and using a Land Rover was its off-road performance apart from the on-road performance.

Apart from all these, alterations and more adaptations were incorporated to Land Rover models through approved vehicle modifier (AVM) technology.

This was a stupendous feature that made Land Rovers appear more distinguished from other models, making them popular and desirable.

The official unveiling of the ‘New Defender’, an iconic off-road tough performance vehicle targetted at redefining automotive standards and capabilities with both civilian and military users, confirms Land Rover’s supremacy in the global automobile industry.

The iconic Defender, built supreme ruggedness with designated approved vehicle modifier (AVM) is to create a family of special-duty variants that are based on the defender 110 and 130 vehicle.

John Graham, Brand Manager of Land Rover’s AVM, Military and Armoured Vehicles, explained that the new Defender vehicle is tailored to suit a number of critical civilian, industrial, emergency-response and security roles in which the vehicle’s strength, reliability and performance are the key factors to help customers perform critical tasks in strenuous conditions.

He said it has been made to suit the African terrain and weather conditions; customers need not to struggle to get any parts of the Defender AVM since it is available in all countries in Africa. 

Below are different shades of Defender models:

Field Ambulance Defender

 

The field ambulance is one of the key roles played over the years by the Land Rover Defender. For the military and civilian agencies working in difficult terrain and where off-road access is required, the Defender has proven to be the ideal vehicle for this crucial task and meets the needs of any particular emergency service organisation. 

Land Rover has designed two basic ambulance versions of the Defender in the AVM range, a single-stretcher model that uses the 110 Station Wagon, and a twin-stretcher model that uses the Defender 130 Chassis Cab as the basis -- with an ambulance box mounted behind the cab. 

Both versions offer the mobility needed to reach hard-to-access areas so that medical intervention and casualty evacuation can be undertaken rapidly.

The Defender Ambulance has an emergency alert system that comes with an electronic siren external speaker with in-cab microphone, medic-seat with seat-belt, and Main stretcher Attendant seat with lap-belt. It also comes with various technical medical emergency equipment as standard fixtures.

Mining Defender

One sector in which the Land Rover Defender’s ruggedness and versatility has long been appreciated is the mining industry, since most mining activities are in remote areas and need exceptional off-road vehicular capability. 

The Defender 110-based vehicle is a station-wagon that can be converted by option to a nine-seat configuration where market legislation permits. 

The Defender 130-based vehicle is in double-cab pick-up configuration, with the ability to mount a crane of up 500kg capacity in the rear pick-up bed.  

Land Rover’s mining support vehicles have addressed those concerns, providing customers with the confidence to safely undertake operations in the challenging conditions that mine sites present.

The vehicle has an underbody skid plate that protects sump and steering components from impact damage, plus front and rear lamp-guards and front wheel-arch mud deflectors.

It also protects the front doors from excessive mud build-up, and has a Front nudge-bar with towing and recovery eyes which strengthens the vehicle front to provide enhanced impact resistance, snatch recovery and reverse towing capability.

Cash in Transit Defender

Land Rover offers protected cash in transit (CIT) vehicles as part of the approved vehicle modifier range; the Defender’s payload capacity allows a high level of protection to be provided without adversely affecting the vehicle’s excellent performance. Using the Defender 130 as a basis, the CIT vehicles have an armoured driver’s cab that gives protection. 

A transparent armour system is employed to optimise outward visibility. The Defender: Cash In Transit helps move large amounts of money and other commodities which require increasing protection in today’s world, and resists any type and level of assault that customers find within their individual operational environment. 

There is also a dedicated cash in transit compartment, constructed from multi-layer, state-of-the-art anti-intruder materials -- maximising occupant and monetary security.

All areas to the cash vault are reinforced within the secondary compartment. The armoured driver cabin is protected to secure the storage area which is reconfigurable to hold ATM cassettes, coins, precious metals. There is a Centralised security locking system for all doors to enable seamless monetary deposits, equipped with a protected power supply for security system management.

Industrial Defender

Land Rover’s approved vehicle modifier also has applications for a range of other industries: such as oil production; the construction and power industries; and to support construction, maintenance and support tasks across a wide range of difficult terrains and conditions.

A mobile maintenance variant, based on a single-cab Defender 130, has a large box on the back that can be configured with various equipment and storage to support a myriad of fleet and equipment maintenance roles.

The vehicle operation enhanced fuel filtration and warning system removes water and other contaminants, eases vehicle egress and ingress, and has removable, washable covers to protect the seats from industrial dust and mud. A Coolant-level alarm provides constant monitoring of coolant level.

The Armoured Defender

The new Armoured Defender is almost indistinguishable from the standard Defender, and has been engineered to meet all levels of independent whole-vehicle test validation in accordance with European Standards.

Of course, nothing comes close to Defender when it comes to taking on -- and beating, some of the world’s toughest terrain.

With its permanent four-wheel drive, it gives optimum all-weather performance on and off-road. This capability is uncompromised in the new Defender Armoured, and the standard vehicle’s payload parameters remain.

The Armoured Defender can carry up to seven passengers, making it the ideal vehicle for organisations such as NGOs and oil and mining companies that work in harsh environments.

As an approved product, the vehicle maintains its full 50,000 mile (80,000km) manufacturer’s warranty and can be repaired or serviced within Land Rover’s extensive worldwide network of approved dealers.

The new Defender Armoured contains bullet-resistant glazing, ballistic steel armouring and floor protection, which contributes to ensuring the vehicle can withstand an attack from high velocity, high calibre bullets and help to provide optimum occupant protection while being contained within the original 3,500kg gross vehicle weight.

It is the first-ever ‘factory approved’ vehicle that has been rigorously tested and passed as a complete vehicle -- not just the materials and components that have been fitted to it.

The additional weight of protection on the new Defender Armoured does not compromise agility and performance -- with upgrades to the brakes and the addition of heavy-duty suspension.

The vehicle retains its legendary capability and is ever-ready to take on difficult conditions as well as maintain its flexibility and capacity.