Land Rover Defender 110s Rescue a Stranded Tractor Trailer
While touring as part of a pre-launch event, the 2020 Defender did what it does best and got a truck driver to safety.
The 2020 Land Rover Defender will no doubt offer an excellent off-road experience in a relatively small package. Fortunately, it will finally make its way to North America. And it will even have a starring role in the upcoming James Bond film. The historic nameplate’s future looks brighter than ever.
In the run-up to its official launch, Land Rover got an excellent opportunity for free advertising when the company encountered a stranded trucker in the African desert. As covered by Carscoops, the employees immediately got to work rescuing the truck from its position. In the process, they demonstrated the immense capability of the new model.
Rescue Operation
As the story goes, Land Rover took two Defender 110 models out to Namibia, a country in southwestern Africa, as part of a run-up to the official launch. When they got to the Namib Desert, they encountered a trucker who had been stuck there for several days with very little subsistence. Ultimately, the two Defenders freed the truck from the riverbed relatively quickly. At first, they’re nearly side by side. But they switched to conga line setup after initially freeing the truck from where it was initially stuck. Presumably, that allowed the trucker to guide himself through the easiest way out of the riverbed, which is the route the Defenders also took.
Impressive Performance
Although the clip is short, the Defenders put on an excellent show. The stranded truck, which doesn’t look too far off from the type of tractor trailer you’d see on American highways, weighed in at approximately 44,000 Ibs. For reference, the two Defenders each have a towing capability of around 7,700 Ibs, much less than the actual weight of the truck. Combined, their capability still doesn’t come close to matching the towing figures needed to pull something that heavy. But based on the video, it seems like the truck was functional, which means they weren’t pulling dead weight. Regardless, it’s mighty impressive that they were both able to pull the truck out of its spot. That should bode well for anyone looking to tow with their future Defender.
Americans will have even more capability when the Defender arrives. For the 110 model, towing capacity is rated at 8,201 Ibs. That’s with the 2.0 turbocharged four-cylinder. In North American configuration, that engine outputs 296 horsepower and 295 Ib-ft. of torque. Land Rover paired the 2.0 liter to a ZF 8 speed automatic. Interestingly enough, the Defender’s optional engine boasts the same tow rating. For comparison purposes, Land Rover rated that engine at 395 horsepower and 406 Ib-ft. of torque. In contrast to the turbo-four, the available turbocharged 3.0 liter inline six-cylinder mild hybrid offers a bit more acceleration. But it’s nice to know that Land Rover baked excellent capability into every trim level.
The 2020 Land Rover Defender is set to launch in Europe this spring while the two-door 90 will follow soon afterward. Land Rover plans on an American debut sometime later this year.