The Land Rover Defender 110 is also available as a plug-in hybrid under the name P400e. What can the large SUV with electrified drive do?
The Land Rover Defender 110 just about fits between the Renault Zoe and Toyota Prius in one of the tight spaces at the public charging station. Is that a first sign that he doesn't feel very comfortable here in the urban jungle with charging cables instead of creepers?
Land Rover is now also offering the new edition of its off-road vehicle icon with an electrified drive. The model is called Defender 110 P400e. The Defender with a battery in the floor does not exist as a short 90s.
The lithium-ion battery has a gross capacity of 19.1 kWh, of which 15.4 kWh net can be used. The Defender takes a little over three hours to fill up the AC connection. The single-phase onboard charger means that the charging capacity does not exceed 4.6 kW. As one of the few plug-in hybrids, it also has a CCS connection, which would enable an output of 32 kW with direct current.
Three tons trailer load
As a farm animal, for towing heavy trailers and for long off-road routes, the electrified Defender is only recommended to a limited extent, despite a trailer load of three tons (combustion engine 3.5 tons). Its primary purpose is to reduce CO2 emissions. That of the manufacturer's fleet and that of short-distance traffic. If you stay here under 38 kilometers, then you can do it locally without emissions. We achieved this range in everyday life with the colossus before the display in the easy-to-read digital instrument cluster showed a charge level of 2% and the combustion engine started.
In addition to the basic model P300, the Defender with plug is the only four-cylinder in the range. The two-liter petrol engine has an output of 221 kW /300 hp, its teammate is an electric motor with a maximum of 105 kW (143 hp). The system performance of 404 hp reads impressively, 640 Newton meters of torque translate this into impressive driving performance.
Economical? Not really
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When the moving wall unit catapults itself from a standstill to 100 km/h in just 5.6 seconds with a full battery, many a passenger up here is at eye level with VW bus drivers and mezzanine residents queasy. The Defender P400e only just misses the acceleration value of the V8 top model with 525 hp. The sound designers have composed a sound pattern for the well-behaved four-cylinder, which meanwhile penetrates the ears of the occupants with a subtle rumble.
But the chase is neither in the nature of the Land Rover nor in that of a plug-in hybrid. This is also shown by the pure highway consumption. If the battery is empty in a jiffy on the expressway, the combustion chambers cheer themselves far beyond the possible top speed of 209 km/h (with optional 22-inch wheels, otherwise 191 km/h) well over 15 liters of fuel per 100 kilometers.In hybrid mode and with regular charging, the calculator spits out an average of 11.6 liters of Super per 100 kilometers after evaluating the fuel receipts. In addition to electricity, mind you.
On the road, the Land Rover Defender skilfully takes care of passengers and drivers. The standard air suspension brings a lot of comfort. This is matched by the generous amount of space in the interior. The modern cockpit with large infotainment display can also be operated without studying an operating manual. Analog buttons and rotary controls are available for the automatic climate control. Clever: By pressing one of the dials, the seat heating and ventilation for the driver and front passenger can be adjusted.
In the digital tachometer, a blue line informs how far you can press the accelerator pedal in EV mode without waking up the petrol engine. With detailed images from each side of the vehicle, a large number of cameras not only help when balancing over ravines and makeshift bridges, but also when parking in front of the furniture store. Or the charging station. With a length of 5.02 meters, more than two meters wide and 1.97 meters high, the Land Rover Defender is anything but handy.
Expensive savings fun
It's also a bit quirky, or should we say patriotic. The tailgate on the left is just as inconvenient for curb parking (in many cases the cable is too short) as the tailgate that opens to the right. At least if you are not driving in the Land Rover home of Great Britain or other countries with left-hand traffic.
The Land Rover Defender 110 P400e costs at least 74,700 euros. A subsidy amount cannot be deducted, since the Bafa (Federal Office of Economics and Export Control), which is responsible for the environmental bonus, does not list the British among the eligible models due to its standard range of 43 kilometers.
The price list and configurator also have many convenience extras and customization ideas ready, with which the tariff can be quickly increased further. The test car has a list price of over 96,000 euros.
Conclusion
The new edition of the Land Rover Defender can be considered a success, despite criticism from many fans of the old model. A high level of off-road capability is paired with plenty of space and good workmanship.
The plug-in hybrid can only partially keep the promise of the Defender to be perfectly prepared for all occasions. As a city SUV, it is simply too big, for everything else the electric range is too short and consumption too high.
Before the batteries announced for the upcoming Range Rover with significantly higher storage capacity are also available for the Defender, one of the in-line six-cylinder diesel engines should remain the better choice for many purposes of the off-road vehicle.
