New Land Rover Defender Hard Top ready to work

Land Rover has released pictures of a new commercial version of its born-again off-road icon, the new Land Rover Defender Hard Top.

Available in both short-wheelbase Defender 90 two-door and long-wheelbase Defender 110 four-door forms, the Hard Top is designed to appeal for farmers and tradies who regularly go off-road but don't want to trade creature comforts.

The new Toyota HiLux rival revives its Hard Top name from the early Series 1 Land Rovers of the 1950s that were originally offered with an optional hard-top canopy.

Developed by Jaguar Land Rover Special Vehicle Operations, the commercial Defender is offered with independent coil-sprung suspension for the shorter Defender 90 and adjustable air suspension for the larger Defender 110.

Land Rover has yet to release payloads for the commercial version of its Defender but says the 4x4 offers three times the stiffness of the next best body-on-frame pick-up or SUV.

Without modifications, the Defender Hard Top can also wade up to 900mm and tow up to 3500kg.

Inside, the commercial Landie doesn't skimp on any tech compared to the regular passenger-orientated Defender, with the 10-inch Pivi Pro touch-screen carried over.

Other tech like the ClearSight HD rear-view mirror, which uses cameras to project an unobstructed view of the road behind, will also be offered.

An advanced tow assist function will also be available, allowing drivers to reverse their Defender and trailer using a rotary controller in the centre of the car, assisted by a 3D surround camera to help negotiate tricky manoeuvres.

Thanks to the Defender's internet connectivity, businesses running the new Defender in the future will be able to check their vehicle's location, fuel level and journey history remotely via Land Rover's Smartphone app.

Another useful option, since the new Defender 90 and 110 sacrifice the second row set of seating, is a central jump seat up front.

In the UK the Defender 90 Hard Top is set to be priced from around £42,000 ($A75,000) when it arrives later this year. Land Rover Australia says the new Hard Top model is under consideration for our market.