Locally assembled Land Rover Defender could start at about Rs 89 lakh in India
Jaguar Land Rover is reportedly preparing to build the Defender in India, which could cut its starting ex-showroom price from Rs 1.07 crore to about Rs 89 lakh.
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The Land Rover Defender is among the first names that come up when luxury off-road SUVs are discussed. Its rugged looks, tough build and ability to handle difficult terrain keep it in the conversation. Now there are reports that its price in India could come down.
Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) is said to be preparing to build the Defender in India through local assembly. If that happens, the SUV's starting ex-showroom price could be about Rs 89 lakh. The imported Defender currently starts at Rs 1.07 crore in India.
The locally assembled Defender is likely to come with a choice of engines, which could include a 2.0-litre petrol, a 3.0-litre petrol, a 3.0-litre diesel and a powerful V8 petrol. The new 3.0-litre P400 petrol engine has a 6-cylinder turbo unit and 48V mild-hybrid technology. It delivers 400 PS of power and 550 Nm of torque.
The current 2.0-litre P300 petrol engine produces 300 PS of power and 400 Nm of torque, while the 3.0-litre D350 diesel engine delivers 350 PS and 700 Nm.
For off-roading, the Defender has an 8-speed automatic gearbox and a four-wheel-drive system. The SUV is built on the company's D7x aluminium-intensive monocoque architecture. Features such as independent suspension, a 2-speed transfer case and a terrain response system help off-road. Select variants also get electronic air suspension and an electronically controlled rear differential. The vehicle's maximum water-wading capacity is up to 900 mm.
The top variant, the Defender Octa, could also be part of the local assembly programme, but this is not yet confirmed. The Octa has a 4.4-litre twin-turbo V8 petrol engine that produces 635 PS of power and 750 Nm of torque. It also gets a special suspension setup, an improved chassis and a separate Octa driving mode.
Local assembly could reduce the burden of customs duty levied on fully imported vehicles, giving the company room to keep the Defender's price lower. However, the company has yet to officially announce the Rs 89 lakh price or which variants will be assembled in India.
