Normally, the four million-plus fans of the Supercar Blondie YouTube Channel expect that its videogenic host would be getting into something sporty or luxurious. Case in point is the Dubai-based automotive reviewer's recent experience with the 2020 Ferrari F8 Tributo. But this time, the First Lady of Fast Cars takes the luxurious element down a notch when checking out Land Rover's new Defender First Edition. Here's her take on the SUV.
What's Currently Available
Supercar Blondie, otherwise known as Aussie media personality Alex Hirschi, freely admitted that those looking for something conspicuously ornate in a vehicle will be disappointed. "It's not meant to be your classy SUV," she says. "This is really made from materials... for practicality."
Still, if you want to get a four-door First Edition, the Defender type she finagled from a local dealer, you might be out of luck. Land Rover only plans to make one production run of the SUV. But other versions, like the two-door Defender and a four-door Defender X, will still be available.
New Interior Features
For most of the video, Hirschi marvelled at what's available in the vehicle's interior, like charging stations for cellphones and appliances located almost everywhere. With a simple push of a button, a rearview mirror converts into an LCD screen with a monitor feed from a rear camera for a better view of what's behind the SUV.
And then there's a refrigerated compartment between the two front seats that can be flipped into a third seat for extra passengers. Rear passengers have additional amenities like cellphone holders to watch images as well as extra view space that Hirschi calls "giraffe windows" surrounding the sunroof.
But what captured much of her interest was the central dash screen with at least a dozen tap icons to personalize the vehicle once it's on—or off—the road. One option allows the driver to check what cameras can see around the vehicle with an upgraded 3-D feature that expands beyond the SUV for a more comprehensive view of the surroundings.
Behind The Wheel
Hirschi has listed such off-road vehicles as the Revzani hybrid among her faves, so it's no surprise that she gives the Defender a thumbs-up. Unfortunately, we don't get to see how the Defender takes on the harsh desert areas in Dubai, but have to settle for a freeway drive instead. It's here where she decides to see how much power the SUV has.
The verdict? More than she suspected. "It actually does have a bit of pull," she said, marvelling at how it accelerated. "It's not like supercar-fast, obviously, but that's not the purpose this car was built for." All that practicality, inside and out, is available for $94,000.
Source: Supercar Blondie