Land Rover Defender ‘Hard Top’ will take you back to the 1950s where it originated with the early series Defender having demountable Hard Tops. The new one however comes with a fixed top but takes inspiration from its forefather.
The Hard Top variant is launched for commercial use. It offers more cargo space and practicality for businesses and professionals. It retains the premium features and driver assistance systems from the regular model. However, there is no 2nd row or 3rd row seating available with this commercial version.
The owners will have an option to add a small middle seat in front row to carry 3 passengers. This versions is developed by Jaguar Land Rover’s Special Vehicle Operations (SVO) division. It is available in both 3-door and 5-door variants (90 and 110).
It comes with independent coil-sprung suspension as standard on both 90 and 110 variants while the latter also comes with optional air suspension. It offers 291 mm of ground clearance while the 110 Hard Top comes with approach, breakover and departure angles of up to 38, 28 and 40 degrees respectively.
The British SUV maker is offering payload and towing capacity of up 3500 kg with this version. It also comes equipped with ClearSight Rear View mirror system for better rearward visibility via camera if the load is full or there is third occupant in the middle.
It also comes with Advanced Tow Assist system that lets drivers steer trailers using a rotary controller. For better off-road ability it has 900 mm of max wading depth, comes with Wade programme in the Terrain Response 2 system.
It gets twin eSIM technology with Pivi Pro infotainment and supports Software-Over-The-Air (SOTA). It will come with a starting price of £35,500 (Rs. 33 lakhs) in the UK. Not expected to come to India.
Land Rover Defender Hard Top
- Hard Top name dates back to 1950 for commercial use
- Offers more cargo space and retains premium features of regular Defender
- Developed by Jaguar Land Rover’s Special Vehicle Operations (SVO) division
