One of the most desirable vehicles introduced this year, the new Land Rover Defender has earned full marks in the Euro NCAP safety test. Land Rover’s most capable and durable model ever has been awarded the maximum five-star rating in the latest round of test results.
To achieve this, the agency tested a right-hand drive Land Rover Defender 110 2.0 diesel SE. The Defender family combines state-of-the-art safety features with an ultra-stiff aluminium-intensive body construction engineered to cope with rugged landscapes and provide excellent safety credentials. Clever technologies include Emergency Braking, Lane Keep Assist and Rear Collision Monitor.
Six airbags protect the driver and passengers, while up to three ISOFIX mounting points are available. New Defender scored 85 per cent for Adult and Child Occupant protection, 79 per cent for Safety Assist and achieved a 71 per cent score for Vulnerable Road Users on its way to a five-star overall rating. Euro NCAP tested a New Defender 110, but the tough 4×4 family also includes the compact Defender 90 and a pair of practical Hard Top commercial derivatives, which feature a fixed bulkhead behind the front seats and provide 2 059 and 1 355 l of cargo space respectively.
The comprehensive range of advanced driver assistance technologies available on Defender includes:
- Emergency Braking – Detects if a potential frontal collision with another vehicle may occur and displays a forward alert to warn the driver to brake. If the driver doesn’t respond, the vehicle will deploy emergency braking to reduce the severity of the possible impact.
- Blind Spot Assist – A flashing icon in the appropriate wing mirror alerts the driver to obstacles in, or quickly approaching, your blind spot.
- 3D Surround Camera – Assists the driver during low-speed manoeuvres using advanced camera technology to provide a 3D view of Defender in its environment on the central Pivi Pro display.
- Clear Exit Monitor – Warns of a possible threat when preparing to open any door from the inside using sensors in the bumper to monitor approaching traffic.
- Adaptive Cruise Control – Maintains a safe distance from the vehicle in front. If the vehicle ahead stops, you will come to a smooth halt.
- Driver Condition Monitor – Senses driver fatigue by monitoring steering, brake and accelerator inputs to provide alerts when tiredness is detected.
- Lane Keep Assist – Detects unintentional lane drift and applies corrective counter-steering to maintain lane position.
- Rear Collision Monitor – If a vehicle approaching from behind is not slowing down, the vehicle will attempt to alert the approaching driver by automatically flashing the hazard lights.
- Rear Traffic Monitor – Warns of vehicles, pedestrians or other hazards approaching from either side – particularly useful when reversing out of a parking bay.
- Traffic Sign Recognition and Adaptive Speed Limiter – Informs the driver of the current speed limit and adjusts the vehicle speed when entering new speed limit zones automatically.
- Wade Sensing – Ultrasonic sensors in the door mirrors provide real-time information about the water depth when wading