Land Rover Defender
2008 saw Land Rover's 60th anniversary, for which a new series of special edition Defenders were produced. Branded the "SVX", three models were built. All were painted black with "satin" effect body graphics on the vehicles sides and bonnet carrying the "60th" logo used throughout 2008 at various special events and on anniversary merchandise. Bespoke five-spoke alloy wheels were used and a new silver-coloured front grille design was used. This also incorporated a new design of headlamp with the sidelight lamp being integral with the main headlamp unit, allowing the space previously used for the separate sidelight to be used to fit a pair of high-intensity driving lamps. Inside the SVX models gained Recaro bucket seats in the front row, alloy gearlever knobs and a Garmin GPS navigation system. The drivetrain was the standard 2.4-litre diesel and six-speed manual permanent four-wheel-drive transmission. Replacing the Defender with a new model has been in the planning stages for many years. The current Defender has been in production since 1991. It has not met U.S. 1998 and since then Land Rover has been offering U.S. LR2 (Freelander) and LR4 (Discovery) instead. Total replacement will be needed by 2015, when new European regulations regarding crash safety for pedestrians will render the current design obsolete. Concept vehicles DC100 and DC100 Sport were revealed at the 2011 Frankfurt Motor Show. DC100 is a conventional three-door off-roader with a 2.0-litre turbo-charged diesel engine and DC100 Sport is a two-passenger pick-up with 2.0-litre petrol engine.
It competes directly with the Ram 1500 EcoDiesel, the only other truck in its class currently available with diesel power. For 2018, a few revisions were applied to the F-150鈥檚 general interior, mainly to the interior color option palette, and updates to the choice of materials. Otherwise, stepping up and into the various Lariat, King Range, and Platinum versions of the F-150 diesel that Ford had available during testing will definitely make fans feel right at home, as majority of it remains unchanged. And since the current 13th generation of F-150 is just a few years old, it鈥檚 as modern and bang-up-to-date as any other pickup in its class. It鈥檚 as modern and bang-up-to-date as any other pickup in its class. There鈥檚 plenty of extra storage space for tools and personal belongings, enough cup holders for the Big Gulps of all the occupants, and lots of overall interior space. Despite needing to opt for at least the third-tier Lariat trim over the base XL and second-tier XLT just to get the new diesel engine, the cheapest F-150 diesel comes relatively modestly equipped. Choose the more expensive King Ranch and Platinum versions, and more standard and optional extras come into play.
People were afraid of it. Old timey leaf spring suspension was thought to be heavier duty, never mind its poor ride and handling characteristics. Basing the new Defender on the new Range Rover endows it with similarly forward-looking tech. For one thing, this new Defender will actually be getting a factory-fitted locking rear differential for the first time ever. That鈥檚 an off-road traction aid so commonplace these days that you鈥檒l even find one on the Fiat-based Jeep Cherokee crossover. In contrast, the old Defender had open differentials on each end, meaning that if one tire lost traction, it basically became a two-wheel drive vehicle. Doesn鈥檛 that sound a little ancient? The new Defender will be available in both long wheelbase four-door (pictured), and two-door short wheelbase versions. Land Rover began solving the problem of off-road traction in the mid-1990s through the use of then-new antilock braking systems. The off-road world considered this to be a gimmick.
The company鈥檚 innovation is continuous, with 50 major new and model-year upgrade product launches planned for the next five years, offering increased opportunity for its supply base. Ian Harnett continued: 鈥淛aguar Land Rover is gearing up for the future and we need our suppliers to do the same, enabling us to deliver class-leading vehicles to our customer base across the globe. Jaguar Land Rover chose to award individual supplier locations, rather than overall groups, in recognition of the importance of a close working relationship with each facility, founded on principles of integrity, honesty and trust. As a reflection of its approach to supplier relations, Jaguar Land Rover was named most trustworthy OEM in a recent study conducted by global information and analytics provider, IHS Automotive. Continental Automotive Systems Slovakia s.r.o. Zvolen (brake calipers for the Jaguar XF, XJ and F TYPE). Brembo Poland Sp.z.o.o. at Dabrowa Gornicza (brake discs for the Range Rover, Range Rover Sport, Discovery and Defender). Autoliv BKI at La Pobla De Vallbona, Spain (part of the Swedish Autoliv Group, the world鈥檚 largest automotive safety supplier, which supplies airbags, seat belts and both passive and active safety systems). ZF Lemforder UK Ltd at Solihull (corner assemblies, including suspension, driveshaft and brake assemblies for many Land Rover models). Trelleborg ForshedaZF Lemforder AB, Sweden (mass dampers for all Jaguar Land Rover vehicles and lines, part of the Trelleborg Vibracoustic Group, a strategic supplier to Jaguar Land Rover for engine mounts). Maxion Wheels Italia, S.r.l., at Dello near Brescia (alloy wheels for many Jaguar Land Rover vehicles, including Range Rover, Range Rover Sport, Range Rover Evoque and Jaguar XF. Leoni Wiring Systems Egypt S.A.E. Cairo (wiring harnesses for Discovery, Defender and Jaguar F-TYPE vehicles.
鈥楬uricane Iyabo鈥?may have come and gone but in the aftermath, there is a growing concern about the effect of climate change and the increasing severity of downpours this rainy season. Add to this the poor state of our roads both in Lagos and Nigeria in general and driving during the approaching months of the rainy season is not a pleasant thought. With this in mind, a 4-wheel drive car with generous ground clearance is no longer a luxury. Yes they are expensive to run and yes a lot of them are boring to drive but sometimes they can make the difference between keeping an appointment or losing the deal. However, not all 4 wheel drives are the same and below are my top picks based on how effective they are in getting you out of a tough spot. The Grand Vitara can handle itself offroad and most reviews are impressed with its abilities in the rough. However, it鈥檚 poor fuel economy and lack of refinement on smooth roads may be a turn off.
