Land Rover’s extreme TV advert for the new Defender has been released

How durable is Land Rover’s new £40,000 Defender? 

A new television advert launching next month shows it being hurtled off ramps, careering through rivers and even being driven away immediately after flipping onto its roof and sustaining substantial damage – as the British car maker is shown pushing it to its limits in a number of ‘uncompromising’ scenarios.

Bosses at the British car maker said the footage – shot on set of the new No Time To Die James Bond film – shows the physical strength and durability of the 4×4, which is measured by a number of different assessments including a bridge jump test.

The one-minute advert will start to appear on UK channels from Thursday (20 March) as Land Rover continues to drum-up interest in the 4×4 that replaces a 71-year-old icon.

The SUV-maker says the commercial is designed to demonstrate the new Defender’s capability on tough terrain and showcase the extreme tests the vehicle has been put through before being made available to the public to buy. 

The commercial also provides an exclusive, behind-the-scenes look at what to expect from the 4×4 when it debuts in the latest Bond flick, out on 3 April.

Land Rover says the clips used for the ad are ‘rehearsal footage’, that we assume won’t be used in the film itself. 

That’s not to say the videos aren’t big-screen worthy. 

Without the use of special effects, you can watch the new Defender launching into the air, driving at high speed through swamps and rumbling through shallow stream strewn with rocks as part of a chase scene that will feature in the next 007 movie.

The advert ends with one of the 4×4 being rolled onto its roof as it leaps out from wooded area. And despite sustaining a lot of front-end damage from the incident, the one-minute clip concludes with the car immediately driving away after the shunt. 

The dramatic sequence in No Time To Die was led by stunt coordinator, Lee Morrison, working alongside Oscar winner and special effects, action vehicles supervisor Chris Corbould.

Speaking about the footage, Lee Morrison said: ‘We pushed the Defender further than we believed possible to generate the maximum excitement, and to give fans an insight into the uncompromising challenge of producing an incredible chase sequence which you can look forward to seeing in No Time To Die.’

In order for this to be done, Nick Collins, vehicle line director at Land Rover, said the Defender first had to be subject to a number of assessments to ensure it was up to the jaw-dropping scenes it had been chosen for.  

‘We developed a new test standard for Defender, the most challenging we’ve ever had and unique to this vehicle,’ he explained. 

‘Physical strength and durability is measured by a number of different tests including a bridge jump test which gave us confidence to deliver what the stunt team needed to create for No Time To Die, with no modifications to the body structure except the installation of a roll cage.’

The new Defender is due to be on sale in the summer, with prices starting from £40,000 for the three-door Defender 90 model. A five-door Defender 110 will also be available from £45,240.

Both variants can be chosen in one of five trim levels: S, SE, HSE, First Edition and top-of-the range Defender X, costing up to £78,800 without an optional extra (of which there are many).

The model used is the top-of-the-line Defender X 110. 

A commercial van Defender will be available too, priced from £35,000 plus VAT. 

The boxy and upright new off-roader promises the traditional go-anywhere ability to traverse deserts, mountains, rocky terrain, and Arctic ice.

It can paddle through rivers and streams to a depth of up to 900mm, aided by the car maker’s first electronic wade programme that’s been tested to the extreme.

In fact, the new Defender has been subject to 62,000 different tests over 744,000 miles in some of the world’s harshest climates from 50-degree desert heat to minus 40 degree Baltic conditions to ensure it is ready to take the iconic mantle – as well as the extreme measures deployed during James Bond filming.

Although a brand new vehicle, the new Defender has plenty of styling and practical cues which hark back to the original of 71 years ago, updated for modern lifestyles.

For instance, the modern version has durable rubberised flooring allowing the interior to be easily cleaned with a brush or a wipe. And a portable rinse-system to washout mud is also available.

A central ‘jump’ seat – like the one available in the original – also gives the option of having three seats up front.

It means the smaller Defender 90 can have up to six seats, while the larger four-door 110 can be specified as a five, six or seven-seater.

Also reflecting the design of the original are the tread-plates on the bonnet and the side-hinged rear tailgate and the option to have the spare wheel on the back. 

At the wheel of the vehicles during the high-speed stunts is Jessica Hawkins, a Formula 3 W Series racer.

Commenting on her first appearance as a stunt driver in a film. she said: ‘It doesn’t get any more exhilarating than being a stunt driver in a James Bond movie and it’s an honour to be a part of this incredible movie driving the new Defender.’ 

It is the second time we’ve seen the Land Rover Defender in action on the Bond film set, with a the UK’s biggest car maker previewing some of the footage back in November (you can see the video below).

You can find out more about the Land Rover Defender in our full first look report.