Land Rover’s legendary Defender Hard Top name will be making its return with the new commercial Defender 90 and 110 models.
The Defender Hard Top will be launched later this year using a name that dates back to 1950, when the introduction of demountable hard tops gave early-series Land Rovers added security and protection from the elements against their soft-top counterparts.
Land Rover says the all-new Defender Hard Top continues this ethos, sharing its fixed metal roof and silhouette with the iconic original.
The new Defender 90 and 110 models were unveiled last September, and the new Hard Top models will be the next additions to the series.
Boasting an aluminium-intensive body architecture, the Defender Hard Top is three times stiffer than the best body-on-frame designs. Sharing its strong body structure and next-generation Electrical Vehicle Architecture (EVA 2.0) with passenger models, the Defender Hard Top is being developed by Land Rover Special Vehicle Operations. The 90 and 110 Hard Tops will both feature independent coil-sprung suspension, with advanced electronic air suspension also available on the 110.
Michael van der Sande, Managing Director, Land Rover Special Vehicle Operations, said, “We will maximise the functionality and usability of New Defender’s cargo area, with tough materials and clever storage solutions to ensure it surpasses the capability of any previous Defender Hard Top.”
With a payload and towing capacity of up 3,500kg the New Defender features a flexible cabin that has no second or third-row seats, but the optional front-row jump seat means it will still accommodate up to three people.
