Extra! Extra!

The New Defender’s options list has got Philip reminiscing

- Phillip Bashall

THEY reckon you can choose from up to 170 options for the New Defender, ranging from an on-board compressor for inflating your tyres, to a pressure washer for hosing off your mountain bike after a spot of trail riding – if you’re mad enough to do that sort of thing for a hobby. Then you can stick your muddy clothes, wetsuit or small dog (yes, yes, I’m joking) in the side pannier pictured above, to keep the interior of the vehicle clean.

It’s all very clever marketing. Defender buyers see themselves as individuals – let’s face it, you had to be a bit eccentric to want the old model – and now they can indulge that desire for personalisation to their hearts’ content, while paying JLR lots more money for the privilege.

Customising Land Rovers is nothing new, of course. What’s changed is the nature of the accessories. To put it very crudely, the bolt-ons you could buy for Series I and II vehicles tended to be mechanical and functional – power take-offs, winches, freewheel hubs and the like. The height of luxury for a Series II was a heater and a push-button radio.