The other significant change is that a six-speed gearbox is standard for this constant four-wheel-drive vehicle. There is a crawl speed in the lower first gear to make towing on-road and off-road even easier. The new sixth gear is set 20 per cent higher than the outgoing model’s top gear to improve cruising refinement and fuel economy.

Despite this, the Land Rover Defender is still a heavy drive. The clutch demands solid movement, preferably with boots on. The six-speed gearbox was gratey and not easy to use, requiring too much effort.

Land Rover has retained the Defender’s unique vehicle architecture. The box section chassis frame is still available in three different wheelbases, and in both standard and heavy-duty guise (for even greater load-bearing capabilities).

The front dash section has been upgraded into a more modern-looking one-piece unit with improvements to the heating and ventilation. But these controls are still noisy and maybe that feeling of utilitarian functionality is what Land Rover wants to retain.

When it comes to solid work ethic then, the Defender will be hard to beat. It comes with a class-leading towing rating of 3.5 tonnes and that’s based on a solid chassis frame. The aluminium bodywork is retained for its lasting ability, but putting carpets on the floor of any Defender model, even the short wheelbase defies logic in my book, for a vehicle that aims to scale the mountains.

Defender prices start at €29,100 for the hard top short wheelbase version, while the station wagon version that I drove comes with a price tag of €39,100, which is only a marginal increase over the previous model. Commercial versions are available for a more competitive price and with the option of a VAT return for those registered.

This latest Defender has few challenges in the true off-road sense. It has great off-road ability, strength and towing power. Structurally, it can take almost all that you can throw at it, but, like all Land Rover products, it needs to grow in a reliability sense.

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