Land Rover Defender launched in India, prices start at Rs 69.99 lakh

- Available in 90 and 110 body style

- Powered by a 2.0-litre petrol engine

- Deliveries to begin in August

Land Rover has launched the newest generation of the Defender in India for a price of Rs 69.99 lakh (ex-showroom). The iconic off-roader is available in both 90 (three-door) and 110 (five-door) body styles across five variants - Base, S, SE, HSE and First Edition. Bookings have already commenced but the deliveries are slated to begin from August 2020.

The new-gen Defender made its global debut last year at the 2019 Frankfurt Motor Show. In terms of appearance, the boxy styling of the old car is retained while the newest design language makes it look modern. It also gets various seating configuration in the two body styles on offer. Apart from that, the Defender also comes with a plethora of customization options along with a long list of accessory packs.

The new Defender has a ground clearance of 291 mm, with an approach angle of 38 degrees. The break-over and departure angles are 28 and 40 degrees respectively. Its maximum wading depth of 900 mm is supported by a new Wade programme in the Terrain Response 2 system, which ensures that drivers can wade through deep water with ease. On dry land, it has a camera upfront showing the area usually hidden by the long bonnet, directly ahead of the front wheels, providing better visibility when off-roading.

There’s a single choice of powertrain for India at the moment. The 2.0-litre petrol engine of the Ingenium family under the squared-off hood is good enough for 296bhp and 400Nm. It is mated to an automatic gearbox and offers a permanent all-wheel-drive layout along with centre differential and optional active locking rear differential. Carrying forward the legendary off-road status, the new Defender comes with loads of hardware to allow for go-anywhere capabilities.

The modern cabin comes with the dashboard-mounted gear lever, new steering wheel and JLR’s TouchPro infotainment screen. In terms of features, the Defender comes fitted with 360-degree surround camera, wade sensing, electronic air suspension (Standard on 110), smartphone pack, connected navigation pro, off-road tyres, a centre console with refrigerated compartment (optional) and more.