KIWI JOURNALIST DAVID LINKLATER TRIES OUT THE NEW DEFENDER IN NAMIBIA

Kiwi journalist David Linklater tries out the new Defender in Namibia

What better way to experience the revamp of the world’s most iconic SUV then in the extreme terrains of Southern Africa.

We sent editor of Driven David Linklater to Namibia on the trip of a lifetime for the launch of the new Defender 110. David was hosted by the global Land Rover team for a week of adventure, staying in a luxury lodge overlooking an elephant watering hole in remote Kaokoland, an untouched area in the NW corner of Namibia's Kunene Region.

David and the team put the durability and capability of the new Defender to the test through various terrains including sand dune driving along the skeleton coast, rough river crossings and a 3-hour trek over rock faces.

"It's a massive leap forward for Defender of course,” says David. “The thing that struck me most was how the high technology makes off-road driving so easy. With the new Terrain Response system, virtually anybody can do extreme off-roading.

"There's such a lot of heritage around Defender expeditions in Africa. Getting to live a little bit of it was a once-in-a-lifetime experience."

LAND ROVER HORSE OF THE YEAR 2020

New Zealand’s premier equestrian competition, the annual Land Rover Horse of the Year, took place across six eventful days at the A&P Showgrounds in Hawkes Bay last month. With over 1,400 riders and 1,800 horses competing for lucrative titles via a panel of inspirational female judges, the event is the highlight of the equestrian calendar.

DEFENDERS COME TO THE RESCUE

The new Defender 110’s were put to the ultimate test in Namibia during a pre-launch media expedition, rescuing a truck driver whose semi-trailer was stuck in the country’s infamous Namib Desert. The Land Rover media team were experiencing the new Defender 110 for the first time in the South West African country, ahead of its April long-lead press launch, when they encountered the marooned truck and its driver while scouting-out a video shoot location.

LAND ROVER NZ CONTINUES LEGACY OF SIR EDMUND HILLARY WITH SPECIAL EDITION VEHICLE

To celebrate a new partnership between Land Rover NZ and the Hillary family, a limited-edition Discovery has been created to coincide with what would have been Sir Edmund Hillary’s 100th birthday, with only 20 vehicles available in New Zealand from July.