OK , back home after a full day ; drive up through a lot of roadworks and slow campervans , back via the highland lakes region (Gondwanaland forest remnants) devoid of tourists and stunningly beautiful. With an ice cream at the Great Lake Hotel servo where some weary walkers were taking a break after completing the world renowned Cradle Mountain Overland Track..
A quiet and low key drive venue at an annual agricultural festival site "Agfest". Bucolic, a new word for our non English speaking friends on the forum.
Good coffee at the van provided, always a good start.
Having followed the project since 2017 and having seen a proto in the flesh almost 12 months ago there were no major surprises.
The following observations come with the rider "in my opinion - for my/our purposes" .
In a PTO2 RHD diesel Trialmaster with rock sliders , winch , roof rack and winch. The blue colour is nice ; I could live with it in my neck of the woods. Though on a blue sky day you might not see it coming the other way.
The Fieldmaster on show was a unique silver and I loved that. If not for the mushroom , that's what I'd select.
The demo course consisted of a reasonably tight track through a patch of trees with a little bridgey thing to test articulation and a descent/ascent over some logs. Nothing scary.
The codriver selected (with no dramas) front and rear difflockers ; no surprise the grenadier walked through with absolutely no histrionics.
The diesel 6 is effortless ; you will hear it in the background. I suspect the petrol will be almost silent under load.
(A side note ; I was told the New Defender has a sensor in the front wheelwell that senses tyre noise and pipes some sort of noise cancelling wizardry into the cabin. Sounds like a stupid idea to me, just more to go wrong , as with every other unnecessary adornment you have to pay for)
The steering, ( even with both lockers engaged , was easy and as expected for the axle/steering setup. Which may have caught those "Scottish motoring journalists" off guard - if you are generally used to SUVs , or have only ever driven them , it might take a bit of adjusting, or a lot if you're a slow stubborn learner.
Turning into tight switchbacks was reassuring (we do plenty of tight tracks in our part of the woods).
Wife and son were in the back and reckoned the ride was no bumpier than expected for the track encountered.
The remaining track was just an overgrown field really - no bogholes or river crossings , sorry! No bitumen. Gut feeling is that it will drive very agreeably for the type of vehicle it is.
Whilst I'm on the steering aspect , the wheel is fairly small and you will have to work it when parking or in rough terrain
I am very pleased I ordered the saddle leather as the base offering is like most modern 4x4s and SUVs. It feels thin and slippery.
If you don't know any difference , you won't be disappointed. But for me , this is a dealbreaker - shock horror , nobody has mentioned that... If you pootle about the city and country lanes no big deal , out in the rough stuff , different kettle of fish.
Reach down and feel your preferred leather belt as a guide to how rugged you are...
Recaro seats are brilliant , very supportive as they are in Porsches and other sports cars , but the bolsters are not intrusive - important in ingress/egress. Speaking of which , even with the sliders my wife - 5ft6 = had no issue getting onboard after grabbing the handle and pushing off. She is fit though and prepared to put a bit of effort in. We are both 60 btw.
I love the manual adjustability , leaving space for stuff under the seats. Yes the glovebox is small. Put your small gloves in there.
Footwell? On this prototype , no issue at all. Sorry if this is a deal breaker for you.
Controls? Easy , intuitive , so what you have to glance a microsecond to the left to see the speedo , as opposed to a microsecond down in just about every other car out there. Important warning lights are in front , where you want them in the rough stuff.
Very pleased I ordered the safari windows (they were in the Fieldmaster nearby). Not just a cool feature , a noticeable difference in cabin feel / airiness whatever you want to call it. Your rear seat passengers will love them too.. Easy to pop up, the wind/rain seal will be fine.
Under seat electrics are in an excellent position for accessibility temperature control and weight distribution. If you ever flood that area you will be floating downstream , slowly sinking and generally ruing your poor decision making!
The cargo space is not huge but perfectly fine for our purposes. It is high off the ground (significantly higher than my Discovery with 2" lift) , if you are a small lady with large dogs that can't jump to waist level , you'll need a ramp....
The hose out floor is obviously practical , but having seen the fitted rubber mats in the flesh , I'll get some of those.
If you travel with lots of kids and lots of gear and like all those homey mod cons , you will need a roof rack +/- a trailer. The 3/4 rack from Rhino is being developed and will have the same steel spines. Most likely we will buy this, it's a tough unit. Room for a rooftop tent and space behind for extras.
The vehicle is all round very solid and heavy duty. As intended, and I have no doubt fit for purpose.
If you wish to add ginormous lifts and tyres etc you are welcome , just don't get too far ahead until you've actually driven one to test the stock capabilities.
They are hugely capable off the factory floor (obviously the Trialmaster moreso)
Finally , if you are a city person this might not be the perfect boxy 4x4 for you. It is definitely weighted towards offroad/rough living. Car parks, bumper to bumper commuter traffic and parking in general might raise your blood pressure (but will keep you fit)
So if you have never slept under the stars and don't like the idea of taking a dump in the bush (snakes or no snakes) take note.
All in all , completely happy with what has been developed and presented. There is no competitor, in my opinion. And exceptional value given the quality of components and general quality (which will be even better in the production versions.)
I was told a bunch of skeptical guys in expensively improved 70s series Landcruisers had a go , and pretty much signed on the dotted line.
My wife loved it and is very excited for future adventures. And it's given the son who came with us some vehicular aspirations , as otherwise he'll be old before he gets mine).
Finally, I was told vehicles destined for Australia are afloat. Deliveries from May onwards. I have no idea if mine is on the boat and I'm not too fussed about that. (ordered May '22)
You've seen 1001 pics of the Ineos already ; I've added a snippet of Tasmania's beauty. Including the senior in the driving seat.
. As well the few pictures of the Tasmanian scenery are stunning! Another region I have to visit!
