DRIVE SOUTH AFRICA: The royalty of the land and the sea
The Land Rover Defender is a nineties child. It has the benefit of using modern design thinking and it comes with a proud history that traces its roots to the Royal Family and the British army.
The Land Rover brand is quite literally royalty in the motoring world. Queen Elizabeth has driven a one all her life, and it is the Land Rover Defender TD5 130 that took Prince Phillip to his final resting place.
This vehicle has commanded a place in the hearts and minds of outdoor and adventure enthusiasts for decades, since its launch in 1948, with its reputation for being indestructible while maintaining its rugged good looks.
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The Defender 90 is a vehicle that has matured well, showing the touches of modern brilliance, while holding firm to the classic principles that sets Land Rover among the elites.
Just two hours away from Cape Town, there exists a different type of royalty. The bourgeoisie of the big blue, the rulers of the ocean – the marine big five.
The bourgeoisie of the big blue, the rulers of the ocean – the Marine Big Five – are the Southern Right Whale, Great White Shark, Cape fur seal, African penguin and the bottle-nose dolphin are the star attractions on any ocean safari in Gansbaai. The area is world famous for some of the best whale and shark sightings, and it is fellow big 5 members, the penguins and seals, that attract the predators here in the first place.
The Marine Big 5
The Marine Big 5 has turned Gansbaai – meaning “bay of gees”- from a sleepy fishing village into a thriving tourist hotspot.
In 2007, the Land Rover Defender took its own evolutionary step, when it included a new utility body, a six-speed gearbox and safer, forward-facing rear seats in the station wagon.
Being over 30 years old, the Defender has blossomed into a good looking, modern adventurer’s vehicle, complete with the trappings of today’s digital age, like interactive driver display Meridian™ Surround Sound System, a 10 inch touchscreen and Lane Keep Assist. There’s a feeling of complete security and protection in the Defender, thanks to its muscular build and uncompromising attention to detail.
The 8-speed automatic transmission is the perfect match for its 3.0 litre 6-cylinder 221kW Twin Turbocharged Diesel engine, and it’s a good thing the Defender has Cornering Brake Control (CBC) because the urge to give the Defender a bit of gas around the bends is all too tempting.
The X-DYNAMIC HSE 2021
The X-DYNAMIC HSE 2021 model comes in a two-door model, and a handful more impressive features like a 3D Surround Camera, Driver Condition Monitor, 360⁰ Parking Aid.
There is something special about the relatively untouched Overberg region and Gansbaai in particular. Maybe it’s the ancient history of the first inhabitants, or maybe it’s the marine big 5 who still call the ocean home today. The one thing we are grateful for is the opportunity to have them playing right here in our backyards,