The eagerly-anticipated Land Rover Defender is due to go on sale in South Africa in coming weeks. Take a look at the specification and pricing details below.

The Land Rover Defender is almost in South Africaand while many manufacturers are experiencing production and delivery delays due to plant closures as a result of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, Land Rover has managed to securethe planned arrival of the Defender on local soil. This, however, hasn't come without its challenges. In the U.S. for example, it has emerged that there is a significant shortage of Defender supply to dealers, all as a result ofproduction coming to a halt at the production plant in Nitra, Slovakia which was shut down for at least 8 weeks. The South African market is considerably smaller than the U.S. and Land Rover South Africa is therefore unlikely to experience any significant supply shortages for the Defender.

Land Rover South Africa commented, "Due to the extremely positive reaction of customers and media to the New Defender, customer demand has been very strong.Based on current production schedules Land Rover South Africa expects a stable supply of Defender 110 units for 2020.Defender 90 production and first customer deliveries have been delayed for reasons beyond our control. We anticipate Defender 90 will be available to order from September 2020."

What's on offer?

When the new Defender goes on sale in South Africa (in July 2020), itwill be available with 4 accessory packs (Explorer, Adventure, Country, Urban) and, as mentioned, will initially be offered in the form of the long-wheelbase Defender 110, with the short wheelbase Defender 90 expected at a later date.

In terms of engines, a petrol, diesel and hybrid will be offered for both 110 and 90 body styles, while trim levels will range from the top-of-the-rangeDefender X models, as well as Standard, S, SE, HSE specification packs. There will also be an exclusive First Edition model.

Kicking off the range will be the D240, with its 2.0-litre 4-cylinder twin-turbocharged diesel motor. It produces 177 kW and 430 Nm, and is capable of a 0-100 kph sprint in 9 seconds. Next up is theP300 2.0-litre 4-cylinder turbocharged petrol motor with 221 kW and 400 Nm. It's a touch brisker, with an8 second claimed sprint time to 100 kph. Finally, the P400 is a 3.0-litre 6-cylinder turbocharged petrol packing 294 kW and 523 Nm, and it will be the quickest Defender with a6 second sprint to 100 kph. All vehicles feature all-wheel drive and all have automatic gearboxes.

As for off-roading credibility, the Defender has 291 mm of ground clearance. The long-wheelbase 110 has an approach angle of 38-degrees, a 28-degree break-over angle and a 40-degree departure angle (in off-road mode). It will also wade through water 900 mm deep. We're looking forward to getting behind the wheel of the new Land Rover Defender so stay tuned for more info.

Land Rover Defender Price in South Africa (March 2020)

Defender 90 177kW D240 Standard –R948 000

Defender 90 177kW D240 S – R996 500

Defender 90 177kW D240 SE – R1 060 200

Defender 90 177kW D240 HSE – R1 156 600

Defender 90 177kW D240 First Edition – R1 142 200

Defender 90 221kW P300 Standard – R948 000

Defender 90 221kW P300 S – R996 500

Defender 90 221kW P300 SE – R1 060 200

Defender 90 221kW P300 HSE– R1 156 600

Defender 90 294kW P400 Standard– R1 078 400

Defender 90 294kW P400 S– R1 113 800

Defender 90 294kW P400 SE – R1 172 500

Defender 90 294kW P400 HSE – R1 268 900

Defender 90 294kW P400 First Edition – R1 254 500

Defender 90294kW P400 X – R1 486700

Defender 110 177kW D240 Standard – R999 000

Defender 110 177kW D240 S – R1 042 800

Defender 110 177kW D240 SE – R1 099 500

Defender 110 177kW D240 HSE – R1 198 700

Defender 110 177kW D240 First Edition – R1 199 500

Defender 110 221kW P300 Standard – R999 000

Defender 110 221kW P300 S– R1 042 800

Defender 110 221kW P300 SE– R1 099 500

Defender 110 221kW P300 HSE– R1 198 700

Defender 110 294kW P400 Standard– R1 129 400

Defender 110 294kW P400 S–R1 164 800

Defender 110 294kW P400 SE– R1 224 300

Defender 110 294kW P400 HSE– R1 320 700

Defender 110 294kW P400 First Edition –R1 310 400

Defender 110 294kW P400 X– R1 498 400

Further Reading

Can New Defender Save Land Rover?

New Land Rover Defender Revealed

New Land Rover Defender Unleashed in Kenya

Land Rover Defender Heritage Edition Video Review