New Land Rover Defender moves closer to production as Kenya tests finish

The new Land Rover Defender edges closer to finally going in to production as its latest round of tests, in Kenya with the Tusk Trust, come to an end.

The new Land Rover Defender will have been ‘on the way’ for a decade by the time it gets a first reveal in September, and now Land Rover are finally getting close to delivering the new Defender we’ve had no shortage of ‘Spy’ stuff to keep us entertained, if not hugely informed.

In the last two months alone we’ve learnt that the new Defender will debut in September and that it will be built in Slovakia, and we’ve even seen the Defender lumbering round the Nurburgring. We’ve also learnt there will be both Performance and Luxury versions of the new Defender.

We also learnt that Land Rover were taking the new Defender off to Kenya to work in properly harsh conditions with the Tusk Trust.

The new Defender was used in Kenya to support conservation operations and used to tow supplies, track lions and ford rivers. everyday stuff for the Tusk Trust, and exactly what the utilitarian versions of the new Defender will have to handle with alacrity.

What we do get from Land Rover’s outing with the new Defender in Kenya is the first look at the new Defender with a spare wheel mounted on the boot. As a nod to the original it’s a lot more impressive than the daft nod in the new Discovery with its wonky number plate. Let’s hope it’s a production peek and not just for the Kenya adventures.

Charles Mayhew, Tusk Trust CEO, said:

 Within the Borana Conservancy, there are a number of prides of lion and tracking and monitoring their movements across this vast and tough environment is vital in order to protect them and reduce any conflict with neighbouring communities.The new Defender took everything in its stride, from deep river wading to climbing rocky trails.

New Land Rover Defender in Kenya Video