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Land Rover hopes to quell critics who claim that the Defender’s improvement alienates advertising users by launching a basic style called Hard Top. It’s a less expensive and fundamental variant of the SUV designed to feel more comfortable taking staff to fix power lines than sending a circle of relatives on a camping weekend.
We got a glimpse of the Hard Top when the Defender made their global deyet at the 2019 Frankfurt Auto Show, however, Land Rover decided not to say much about the style in order to find more beloved and successful variants that are better. aligned with his sumptuous image. With those on the sidelines, the company explained that the Hard Top (a call that, in the Land Rover glossary, is rooted in 1950) rests precisely on the same intensive aluminum monocoque platform as the Defender, and is developed through its Special Vehicle Operations Division. Short and long wheelbase styles will be available, respectively calld 90 and 110.
Land Rover has not yet published any technical specifications, but it is moderate to assume that this edition of the Defender will not have a V8; You’re more likely to find a turbodiesel engine under the hood. Both models will get a separate metal suspension, the 110 will be taken with an adaptive air suspension at an additional cost, and can tow up to 7700 pounds when properly configured. All-wheel drive will be standard.
Steel wheels will underline the Hard Top’s commitment to function-over-form design, and Land Rover will replace the rearmost window with a metal panel where buyers can paint their company’s logo and/or contact information. While photos of the interior remain under wraps, Land Rover explained both Hard Top models will offer two front seats in their most basic configuration, but an optional center jump-seat will increase their seating capacity to three. Motorists who need second- or third-row seats will need to move up in the trim level hierarchy, because the Hard Tops were developed for cargo-hauling. The rear opening is big enough to swallow a standard-sized pallet.
Land Rover cannot go that far in its quest to remove the Defender’s content, and the Hard Top remains significantly more high-tech than the Top Defender. It is compatible with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, can get live updates and comes with a variety of electronic driving aids, such as a ClearSight rearview mirror, a complex tow assist, a 360-degree camera and Terrain Response 2. In the original Defender, driving aids were limited to pedals, a handbrake lever, to replace gears and a guide wheel.
In the UK, the Land Rover Deffinisher Hard Top will go on sale at the end of 2020 with a base value of 35,500 euros plus tax, a sum representing around $44,000 at the existing conversion rate. This figure makes it approximately 5000 euros (approximately $6,200) less expensive than the cheaper non-commercial variant sold in England. Prices for the U.S. market have not yet been announced and we don’t know if the Hard Top will be sold in this atlantic aspect. Autoblog has contacted Land Rover for clarification, and we will update this story if further informed.
When it lands, one of its main rivals will be the Ineos Grenadier, which develops through one of the world’s largest chemical producers. It turns out that the truck will be much closer to the original Defender than the existing generation model, in components because it will get a frame structure in the chassis and forged axles. Again, it is not known whether the Grenadier will be sold in the United States, or whether it will be held exclusively in the other aspect of the pond. Production is expected to begin in Wales in 2021.