JLR drives in iconic SUV Defender in India; I-Pace next in line

New Delhi, October 15

Jaguar Land Rover India on Thursday said it has launched its iconic SUV Defender in the country with price starting at Rs 73.98 lakh (ex-showroom).

The latest version of the model comes with a 2-litre turbocharged petrol engine and would be available in two body styles in the country.

The price of new Defender 90 (three-door) starts from Rs 73.98 lakh, while Defender 110 (five-door) is tagged at Rs 79.94 lakh onwards (ex-showroom).

“Since the launch of Land Rover in India in 2009, we had been receiving numerous enquiries on the Defender. We recognised the strong desire and demand for this SUV, and are thrilled to see the strong pull that the new Defender has been able to generate in India,” JLR India President and Managing Director Rohit Suri told PTI.

The automaker will start the Defender innings in India with the 110 body style, which is available for deliveries immediately, he added.

The company has also opened bookings for Defender 90, deliveries of which will begin in first quarter of next financial year, Suri said.

“In terms of power-trains, we have launched the 2.0 litre petrol with 300 PS as of now. We will be introducing the 3.0 litre diesel and the 3.0 litre petrol in future. We are also exploring the launch of 2.0 litre petrol PHEV (plug in hybrid vehicle) in India,” he noted.

Suri said the launch in many ways completes the Land Rover brand story in the country.

“So far, under Land Rover, we had the Discovery product pillar and Range Rover product pillar available in India. With this launch, the third product pillar, Defender, is now available,” he said.

The new Defender will make its place in the hearts of many people with a curious mind, love for authentic adventures, passion for travel and who dare and wish to go above and beyond in life, Suri noted.

Such individuals transcend barriers of age, gender, profession, with their free-spirited nature and fearlessness, just like the new Defender, he said.

When asked about new product launches, Suri said the company is now gearing up to launch Jaguar I-Pace in the country.

“We will continue to strengthen our brand positioning in the market by bringing in more products that will include plug in hybrids and mild hybrids,” he noted.

Suri said that Defender would be sold through the company’s 27 dealerships across the country and the customers would be able to choose from 170 individual accessories and four distinct accessory packs.

The model would also be sold through online route.

“Online sales channels have been operational for JLR since 2016, putting the two brands at the forefront of digitisation and adoption of customer friendly technologies…Users may also choose to trade-in their existing vehicle and personalise finance options to suit their needs,” Suri said.

Defender, which is known for its offroad prowess, comes with an impressive maximum approach angle of 38 degrees and a water wading capability of 900 mm.

It also delivers a maximum towing capacity of 3,720 kg coupled with a roof load capacity of 168 kg.

The model also comes with next-generation electronic vehicle architecture supporting SOTA (Software-Over-The-Air). It allows customers to receive updates without visiting the retailer.

The infotainment in the model includes a 25.4 cm touchscreen with navigation features. PTI

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