JLR’s Range Rover might be the most profitable vehicle it markets, but the Defender generates the highest volume of revenue. It has become the anchor of modern Land Rover.
Leveraging its rich heritage with an overengineered monocoque platform, the new Defender has been wildly successful for JLR. In some respects, a bit too successful, having cannibalised Discovery sales.
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JLR’s marketing people have a rich heritage of all-terrain adventuring to reimagine for its campaigns and ‘edition’ vehicles. Something that emerging Korean and Chinese brands don’t.
And the richest source of that heritage relates to Defender. Especially the yellow ones, which hark back to the legendary Camel Trophy adventure vehicles that built the brand’s resonance in the 1980s and early 1990s, an era before digital media platforms.
There’s only one colour – really…
JLR’s latest addition to the product range is the Defender Trophy Edition. Featuring two heritage colourways – Deep Sandglow Yellow and Keswick Green. But of course, there’s only one real colour option – it has to be yellow, true to the original Camel Trophy 110 hardtops.
Beyond the heritage colourways, there are 20-inch black alloy wheels, which are shaped to resemble steelies and roll on dedicated all-terrain tyres, with appropriately reinforced casings.
Ensuring these Trophy Edition vehicles are true to their purpose, rear scuff plates and front undershields are included to prevent snagging damage in demanding terrain.
JLR can all the bits for you
The heritage curation is completed by Trophy decades on the bonnet, C-pillars, and tailgate.
If owners want to further enhance the adventure look, there’s a Trophy Kit pack, which adds classic mud flaps and a raised air intake.
Some of the most iconic Camel Trophy images featured Land Rover 110s attempting to cross treacherous South American rivers – so raised air intakes are a given heritage item for brand enthusiasts.
Turbodiesel and true to brand
Powering the Trophy Edition versions is JLR’s D350 specification 3-litre turbodiesel.
With its inline-six configuration and mild-hybrid technology, the D350 powertrain produces 258kW and 700Nm. Those engine outputs mean excellent highway speed, overtaking, and cruising performance. With the low-range gearing engaged, all the power and torque you’ll ever need to crawl up the steepest technical climbs or crest enormous dunes.
JLR’s Defender Trophy Edition might be a bit OTT for European markets, but in Africa, it’s very much at home. It’s why the media assets for this new derivative were all filmed on the second-largest continent, which is spiritually Land Rover’s second home.
