(Land Rover)
There’s a brand new Defender on the way, but that isn’t stopping Land Rover from tweaking the current model before it goes to pasture.
The rugged Africa Edition of the Defender was announced this week, and according to the British automaker, it celebrates “over 67 years of boldly going where no vehicle has gone before.”
No, the special-edition Defender won’t have warp drive, but it does wear some exclusive gear that’s inspired by the world’s second-largest continent.
The vehicle’s Santorini black finish is accented by a striking red roof that reflects the country’s searing heat, and the red accents continue inside on the interior stitching.
Black saw tooth alloy wheels and a custom Defender Africa decal adorn the vehicles exterior, and optional accessories include a snorkel, roof rack, rear step, bumper caps, and a front protection bar.
The Defender Africa package is available on the Defender 90 and Defender 110. The smaller Defender 90 seats four passengers, while the larger 110 model seats seven. Both models are equipped with a 2.2-liter diesel powerplant that allows the Defender to reach speeds of 90 mph. The special-edition will be limited to 50 units.
Related: Land Rover settles on design for Defender successor
The Africa Edition may be one of the final variants of the current Defender, but there is a new, U.S.-bound Defender design on the way.
It won’t look like the DC100 and DC100 Sport Concepts that premiered in 2011, as Land Rover has deemed their look to be “a little too generic.” Instead, the British manufacturer is returning to the boldly elemental design that propelled the iconic Defender to prominence over 50 years ago.
The replacement is still a ways off, but it’s expected to ride on an all-new platform when it does arrive. Land Rover has an annual sales goal of 50,000 units for the car, so cost effectiveness will likely be one of the 4×4’s core values.