It seems that Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) India is in a bit of a hurry. After launching the all-new Evoque and the refreshed Discovery Sport earlier this year, the company has now accepting bookings for the brand-new Defender. Unveiled globally in September last year, the latest Defender starts at Rs 69.99 lakh and goes up to Rs 86.27 lakh, before taxes, in India. That’s an enticing price range, considering that the model arrives via the CBU (Completely Built Unit) route.

So, does India get the 90 (3-door) or the 110 (5-door) Defender? The answer is both. As far as trim levels are concerned, a total of five across both body styles are available – Base, S, SE, HSE and First Edition. In the powertrains department, however, the choice will be much less. Just one, to be exact! No matter which derivative you opt for, under the hood will be a 2.0-litre, turbo-petrol engine producing 296bhp/400Nm. An 8-speed automatic will harness all that oomph and feed it to an all-wheel-drive system.

Performance figures? Get the 90, and you could hit 100kmph from a standstill in 8 seconds and reach a top speed of 191kmph. You would imagine that the bigger and heavier Defender 110 can never be as quick. But the fact is that it almost is. The 0-100kmph sprint takes just a tenth of a second more, whereas the top speed is the same as the 3-door version. JLR India could offer the 90 with five- and six-seater configurations, and the 110 with five- and seven-seat layouts.

The company hasn’t revealed the complete list of features just yet. However, it does confirm the inclusion of a 360-degree surround camera, wade sensing, electronic air suspension (standard with the Defender 110), Smartphone Pack, Connected Navigation Pro, off-road tyres, a refrigerated compartment in the centre console and the availability of multiple accessory packs.

Unlike most of the older generations, the new-gen Defender has a balanced personality. It can tackle the rough stuff off-road, and yet doesn’t feel entirely utilitarian. That’s something the Jeep Wrangler cannot pull-off. The real question is, would you buy the Defender over similarly-priced SUVs?