To celebrate World Land Rover Day, the company has revealed photos of the 2020 Land Rover Defender’s field testing activities in Africa. The original Land Rover (Series 1) debuted at the Amsterdam Motor Show on April 30th, 1948.
The camouflaged prototype Defender is set to enter the final phase of its real world testing in Borana Conservancy with the Tusk Trust wildlife conservation charity in Kenya. The original Land Rover Defender was in production from 1983 until 2016. The rugged, all-terrain SUV was taken off the United States market in 1997. Industry analysts predict that the all new 2020 Land Rover Defender is likely to be debuted in September of this year.
The prototype photos reveal a Defender which is not quite as boxy as competitors such as the Mercedes-Benz G Class. Like that truck, the Defender promises to be ready to handle the challenges of urban driving with the same vigor it brings to the back country.
The 2020 Land Rover Defender has completed previous tests in locations such as the Rubicon Trail, New York City, Arjeplog, Sweden and the Nurburgring. The Defender is said to have an independent rear air suspension instead of the more traditional true rear live axle.
Land Rover has announced that more than 45,000 individual driver tests will be completed with brand enthusiasts in the run-up to the Defender’s debut at the 2019 Frankfurt Motor Show later this year.
Since testing started, the Land Rover Defender fleet has logged more than 745,000 miles in locations around the world. The company is promising its newest SUV will offer “new levels of comfort and driveability” which will help it to challenge the world’s luxury all terrain vehicles.
Production for the new Defender is slated to kick off at Land Rover’s new manufacturing facility in Nitra, Slovakia, where the Discovery is currently assembled.