Month: May 2019

To celebrate World Land Rover Day, Land Rover has announced plans for the new Defender to complete a final phase of field testing with Tusk Trust, on location in Kenya.

A Defender prototype wearing a unique camouflage will experience life at the Borana Conservancy as part of Land Rover’s 15-year partnership with Tusk Trust.

The prototype will tow heavy loads, wade through rivers and carry supplies across unforgiving terrain in a series of real-world trials at the 14,000-hectare reserve.

By the time the new Defender makes its public debut later this year, it will have passed more than 45,000 individual tests in some of the most extreme environments on earth. Land Rover engineers have taken the test fleet to the 50-degree heat of the desert, the sub 40-degree cold of the Arctic, as well as up to 10,000ft altitude of the Rocky Mountains in Colorado to ensure the new Defender will take everyday life in its stride, for even its most adventurous customers.

Nick Rogers, Executive Director, Product Engineering, Jaguar Land Rover, said: “In addition to the extensive simulation and rig testing, we’ve driven new Defender 1.2 million kilometres across all terrains and in extreme climates to ensure that it is the toughest and most capable Land Rover ever made. The incredible opportunity to put it to the test in the field, supporting operations at the Borana Conservancy in Kenya, with Tusk, will allow our engineers to verify that we are meeting this target as we enter the final phase of our development programme.”

With on-road dynamics honed at the Nürburgring facility in Germany and all-terrain credentials tested on the muddy roads of Eastnor, UK, the rocky trails of Moab in Utah, and the sand dunes of Dubai, the new 4×4 promises to bring unparalleled breadth of capability and new levels of comfort and driveability to the Defender family.

The new Defender has been designed and developed in the UK, at Gaydon, home to Land Rover’s world-class design, engineering and testing facilities. The new home of global Defender production will be Land Rover’s recently opened state-of-the-art manufacturing facility in Nitra, Slovakia.
Land Rover has been an official partner of Tusk Trust wildlife conservation charity for 15 years, helping to reach some of the world’s most remote locations. News of the testing initiative has been announced to mark World Land Rover Day, which is celebrated on 30 April every year to mark the world premiere of the original Land Rover at the Amsterdam Motor Show on this day in 1948.

Land Rover South Africa has worked with its counterparts at Special Vehicle Operations (SVO) in the UK to develop a one-of-a-kind Range Rover Sport SVR as a tribute to the Springbok rugby team.

Land Rover, which is a Worldwide Partner of Rugby World Cup 2019™ and South African sponsors of the Springboks worked hand-in-hand with the SVO team, not only to express its commitment to being the number one automotive brand in rugby, but also to demonstrate the bespoke commissioning capabilities of Special Vehicles Operations.

Created a in three-way partnership with SVO, Land Rover South Africa and the South African Rugby Union (SARU), the unique Range Rover Sport is the first and only vehicle to be completely finished in the Springboks’ very specific green hue. The exact Pantone colour match was applied to the Range Rover’s bare shell at the very start of its build process at SVO’s dedicated paint facility. Custom Springbok logos and bespoke yellow brake calipers finish off the exterior’s visual enhancements.

Normally reserved for Land Rover’s own trademark logos, the circular plaques on the Sport’s B-pillars and front and rear treadplates now also feature Springbok insignias and script. Custom touches inside include special yellow shift paddles, and contrast yellow stitching on the seats and door panels. The interior mood lighting has also been adapted to radiate a green glow.

Tina Pienaar-Smit, Jaguar Land Rover PR and Sponsorship Specialist, said:“Land Rover and rugby go hand-in-hand so it only made sense to demonstrate the allegiance in automotive form. We have a great resource in SVO, and its capabilities are ideal to make the connection between the Land Rover and Springbok brands a tangible reality. We hope each member of the Springbok team appreciates the final product as much as we do.”

Jurie Roux, CEO of SA Rugby, said: “We entered the process of designing this vehicle with Land Rover some months ago, and SARU is delighted to have played a part in the result. This project is the first of its kind for the Springboks and I’m sure there will be many excited conversations among the players who will get the opportunity to drive it.”

Opened in the British Midlands in 2016, the SVO Technical Centre specialises in manufacturing, personalisation and commissioning programmes for Jaguar Land Rover vehicles. Interested customers are encouraged to participate in the design of their own cars with near endless possibilities for custom schemes.

South African customers can contact any Jaguar Land Rover dealer for potential bespoke commissions to be fulfilled by Special Vehicle Operations in the UK.

The Springbok tribute Range Rover Sport SVR will makes its public debut at the Jaguar Simola Hillclimb on 4 and 5 May. Race fans can watch the 10^thanniversary edition of the Jaguar Simola Hillclimb via livestream at http://www.youtube.com/user/JaguarSA1