Rare and desirable
While most of the 25 000 Defenders produced each year are working tools for everyone from farmers to aid agencies, the 60th anniversary SVX special edition models are the most stylish and feature-packed versions that Land Rover has ever produced.
With metallic black paintwork, the Defender SVX will be available in 90 soft-top and station wagon versions, as well as based on the Defender 110 CSW. Each model comes fitted with an individually numbered plaque.
New exterior features include a restyled grille surround, tubular side-steps, special, diamond-turned alloy wheels, a reinforced aluminium front undershield, clear-lens headlights, and LED reverse/rear fog lights. Also included are unique ‘Defender’ and ‘SVX’ badges, and the bold surround for the front grille.
The soft-top model is especially eye-catching, with a metallic silver tubular cage that supports a tailor-made, removable black fabric hood. This encloses a flat load-space and a spare wheel stowed behind the front seats, reminiscent of the very first open-top Land Rovers.
Bringing the SVX interiors right up to date are custom-designed Recaro front seats, distinctive alloy gear knobs, a new audio system (with subwoofer and USB socket), iPod compatibility and Garmin satellite navigation.
The special-edition SVX is also expected to be one of the rarest and most desirable Defenders of all time, with only 1 800 units produced worldwide.
“The Defender SVX looks very different to a spartan 1948 Land Rover, but it’s still an essentially practical vehicle that will enable you to go almost anywhere,” says Phil Popham, Land Rover’s managing director.
“The new and much more refined diesel engine introduced earlier this year has been a great success with customers, and for those who want the ultimate Defender, we thought that the SVX special edition would be an ideal way to mark Land Rover’s 60th birthday.”
South African Land Rover enthusiasts will be pleased to know that a limited number of Defender SVX models have been allocated to the local market.
The SVX will be offered here in all three variants, with pricing starting at 370 000 for the SVX 90 Hard Top. The SVX 110 CSW retails for R410 000, while the SVX 90 Soft-Top tops the range at R417 000.
“We are obviously pleased that we are able to offer this very special, limited-edition version of the Defender as part of Land Rover’s 60th Anniversary celebrations,” says Roland Reid, general manager of marketing and sales at Land Rover SA.
“The units are already on offer through our dealer channel, but interest is high, and we’re expecting a rapid sell-out.”
