2019 Land Rover Defender Is An All-new Icon: US Price And Specs
Towing ratings are the same, while the Defender 90 gets a 23.4 gallon tank and the Defender 110 has 23.8 gallons. The hybrid uses a belt-integrated starter generator, which charges a 48V battery mounted at the rear. It contributes up to 105 lb-ft of the overall torque, both for driving and for smoothly restarting the gas engine after the start/stop system has kicked in; that can happen when the Defender drops below 1.9 mph. An eSupercharger is used to increase boost pressure, meanwhile, for more low-end torque from the gas engine. Anything deemed worthy of the Defender badge needs to have some off-road credibility, and so Land Rover is using a combination of hardware and electronics to make sure this new SUV lives up to expectations. It gets the latest version of the Terrain Response 2 system, which adds a Wade Program along with the ability to customize the off-road settings. There are Normal, Wade, Rock Crawl, Mud and Ruts, Grass/Gravel/Snow, and Sand modes; the new Wade program cranks up the air suspension height, shuts off the HVAC vents, and automatically cleans and dries the brake discs and pads.
With 542bhp and 680Nm of torque, the 2,070kg F-Pace SVR sprints from 0-62mph in just 4.3 seconds, and 0-100mph takes less than 10 seconds. So although it鈥檚 a big vehicle, with luxuriant space in its bespoke back seats and a 650-litre boot, it鈥檚 also a massively rapid one. The chassis, brakes and steering have all been heavily modified, with stiffer springs, uprated dampers, an electronic differential at the back and huge new disc brakes at each corner. And yet on the move the SVR still manages to retain many of the qualities that make the regular F-Pace such a civilised SUV. Its ride is firmer than standard, but not uncomfortably so. The responses from its steering, brakes, accelerator and gearbox are all more urgent, too, yet not to a point where the SVR feels horrendously compromised. But the earthquake that occurs when you open the throttle properly for the first time on a quiet stretch of road is, it must be said, not for the faint of heart. Nor is the sound that accompanies the tidal wave of acceleration as the SVR fires you towards the horizon. It鈥檚 tremendous to experience an F-Pace SVR on full reheat, even if you can watch the fuel level dropping visibly when you use lots of throttle for more than five seconds. Far more important will be the excellent, I-Pace-inspired infotainment system, and the roomy pair of rear seats. Truth is, once you鈥檙e inside the Jaguar鈥檚 climate-controlled, well-equipped, high-grade, leather-lined cabin, the rest of the world fades away into insignificance. And that鈥檚 before you鈥檝e even put your foot down in it, at which point the real magic starts. So while the SVR may be a dinosaur in some respects, as car enthusiasts we can鈥檛 help but embrace it, even if its thirst and emissions are a bit embarrassing at the same time.
At a moment鈥檚 notice, the Velar鈥檚 4,100-pound body surges into action, its engine smoothly doling out power to the driver鈥檚 satisfaction. The EPA's mixed-driving estimates for the Velar are 20 mpg with the V6, 23 mpg with the base four-cylinder and 28 mpg with the thrifty diesel. It would be incorrect to say the Velar is the first Land Rover to master corners; the Range Rover Sport SVR takes that honor. The keys to the Velar鈥檚 dual personality are its Terrain Response 2 system, Adaptive Dynamics suspension and aluminum-intensive chassis (shared with the Jaguar F-PACE). With three on-road drive modes, including a Dynamic setting for maximum performance, the Velar is a sure-footed SUV at just about any pace. When the paved road ends, the Velar gladly proves its birthright with sophisticated traction management modes, air suspension, All Terrain Progress Control, hill-descent control and a locking differential. Piloting a crossover with 22-inch wheels and low-profile tires up the side of a gravel-strewn mountain is the fantasia of Land Rover engineering, and the world is better for it. Beyond the reductionist approach to cabin design, the premise of the Velar鈥檚 interior gadgetry is that technology can be convenient rather than confusing.
In the evening on the drive home (performance still not right) I filled up with fuel. Following this the DPF light came on solid. Once home I read the codes from the engine. The only code present was P1336 - I don't know if this was cleared following the chain replacement as I didn't read the codes when leaving the garage. The chain was reporting 7.5 degrees (well within spec). I phoned the garage in the morning and arranged to take the car in on Monday morning. They said they had an idea what it could be but wouldn't reveal what over the phone. Over the weekend the engine light came on for the first time. I now had error codes P2458 - Particulate Filter Regeneration Duration, P2463 - Particulate Filter Restriction - Soot Accumulation, P242F - Particulate Filter Restriction - Ash Accumulation. The DPF was blocked. ACC (particle matter accumulation) was reading 23, anything over 15 would cause the DPF light to come on. The DPF was blocked, it would need replacing. 拢2.5k for parts plus labour. The Mazda garage insisted that the timing chain replacement and the blocked DPF can't be related. I find this very difficult to believe given the circumstances: the car was driving fine without DPF issues, the timing chain was replaced and then immediately there were power issues, then the DPF becomes blocked. My problems are that it appears difficult to prove this. I could pay a DPF specialist to diagnose and/or clean the DPF, but I think it's likely that it would clog up again. ACC goes above 15 then I know that the reading was definitely below 15 when I collected the car, but had reached 23 by the Monday morning (driven approximately 100 miles since collection).
