- Exterior Side-Mounted Gear Carrier
- Portable Rinse System
- Integrated Air Compressor
- Personalized Illuminated Treadplate
- Spill Resistant Water Bowl
- Loadspace Security Box
- Roof Tent
- Inflatable Waterproof Awning
- Above and Beyond Pen
Land Rover is launching a staggering 170 accessories.
With the all-new Land Rover Defender, the brand understands that when it comes to style-oriented crossovers (and yes, this is one of those), giving buyers their own style is very important. That style can mean fashion, but it can also mean functional upgrades. It’s why the Jeep accessory market is larger than the GDP of more than a few countries. So with the new Defender, Land Rover is launching 170 accessories. Some sold in four main packs, and the rest as individual options. Naturally, some are cooler than others so we’ve scoured the list and found the best new Defender accessories.
Exterior Side-Mounted Gear Carrier
You’ve likely seen the saddlebag-like boxes that are covering the rear windows in many shots of the new Defenders. They might look like spare fuel cans, but they’re actually to hold extra cargo gear. 24L worth, weighing in at up to 17 kg. That’s about half the size of an airline carry-on bag. What’s special about it? It’s lockable and waterproof, plus it’s aero tested and won’t mess with radio reception. And has a net to make sure your stuff doesn’t fall out. If you’re thinking it’s neat removable storage, though, this $1,295 case is not.
Portable Rinse System
It’s not exactly a subsitute for a shower, but the portable rinse system is great for cleaning off boots or Rover before getting inside. It’ll deliver more than two minutes of continuous water flow using pressure from the tap instead of a power source. Filling up the 6.5L capacity from a stream or lake? There’s a hand pump to give you some more pressure.
Integrated Air Compressor
Sure the central tire inflation system on the Hummer H1 is pretty cool, but it’s also expensive and prone to failure. Land Rover has instead gone with a built-in compressor to let you air back up after a trip through sand or mud. It’s affixed to the cargo area and uses a durable self-coiling hose that can reach all four tires. The compressor is designed to run for long periods to let you fill up all four, or use it to top up bike tires or that inflatable raft.
Personalized Illuminated Treadplate
That’s right, you can get your door sill personalized with a message that will illuminate in the dark using low-power LEDs. Rover suggests using your name, but might we suggest the url of your favourite automotive website? It’s better than what you were thinking, which was a clever one-liner that’ll cost you £742 but be horribly dated before the accessory even arrives
Spill Resistant Water Bowl
Dogs and SUVs go together like off-roading and mud. The combination is just better than the two were apart. Land Rover knows this, so they’ve offered up a host of dog-friendly accessories. From a loadspace carpet to a foldable crate to an easy-loading ramp when that jump is just a little too high. Our favourite is this spill resistant water bowl. Holds 350 mL to make sure your four-legged friend doesn’t go thirsty after snooting out the back of your Defender all day. Though while the bowl might keep the water off of your seats when you’re climbing boulders, it can’t do anything about that drooling.
Loadspace Security Box
That’s right, they’re offering up a lock box for your boot. It’s intended for your laptop or your phone, but we’re thinking that the box, which bolts to the cargo rails in the boot, could be used to hold all sorts of things you don’t want walking away. Like your lunch.
Roof Tent
Of course Land Rover’s letting you fix a tent to the roof of the Defender. That is, after all, more than half of the “I’m totally going to do this with mine” Land Rover experience. The folding tent can be affixed to the roof rack system and the roof supports a maximum static load of 300 kg. It’s a 168 kg dynamic load, though, depending on how you plan to use that tent. Helping you get up in there is a folding ladder attached to the side.
Inflatable Waterproof Awning
If you need more space for camping, cooking, or changing, Land Rover is offering a canopy that goes around the tailgate. Or the side doors. You can put this on more than one part of the vehicle. Use the built-in air compressor to inflate the air beam and suction cups and tent pegs to hold it to the car and the ground. Now you can tailgate Land Rover style
Above and Beyond Pen
Land Rover has partnered with British apparel brand Musto for a line of branded outdoor gear. Belts, jackets, gloves, you get the idea. The best item might be this Above and Beyond pen. Yup, a plain old ink pen. But the video clip has it exploding from a block of ice, and that makes it awesome. It’ll write upside down, in hot or cold, and even underwater. Letting you sign your important business contracts just about anywhere. And the fancy British apparel brand is actually owned by Canadian Tire these days, so maybe you’ll see a Mastercraft-branded one for 80 percent off on boxing day.
Keyword: The Nine Best New Defender Accessories