Landrover offers three versions of the new Defender 90, 110 and 130 respectively, but it doesn’t sound like the range will be getting an improvement anytime soon. Dutch coachbuilder Heritage Customs has stepped in to fill the gap by giving the longest modern version Defender a cargo crate.
It’s easier said than done to chop a vehicle into a pickup, but this isn’t the first time Heritage Customs has made major changes to the current-generation Defender. This is the same bodybuilder that builds a convertible Defender 90 with an electrically folding soft top. The pick-up is based on the Defender 130 and features a usable bed, sports bar and a side-hinged tailgate with large ‘HERITAGE’ letters stamped into it.
Buyers can customize virtually every aspect of their home truck including paint, upholstery and interior trim. Several exterior decal packages are available, while new wheel designs ranging from 20 to 22 inches in diameter add the finishing touch. If that’s not custom enough, Heritage Customs offers a thick catalog of off-road accessories, including LED light bars, roof racksand side steps.
It doesn’t sound like Heritage Customs is making any mechanical changes during the transformation. Each build starts with the X Dynamic SE trim level, which is available in Europe with two engines. The standard offering is a 3.0-litre twin-turbo engine diesel Six-cylinder inline with an output of 350 hp, while a 5.0-liter V8 with supercharger up to 425 hp is available at extra cost. Four-wheel drive is of course standard.
Prices start at €155,000 before tax, which is about $166,000 at today’s exchange rate. You might think twice about loading it up with a trip to Home Depot for landscaping stones. Heritage Customs notes that buyers will need to put down a €15,000 (about $16,000) deposit to secure a build site, and that production takes about three months because the work is done entirely by hand.
The idea of creating a Defender pickup isn’t unprecedented; the original Defender was offered as a truck for decades. There were rumors that the body style would make a comeback in the new Defender range, but it’s been a while since we’ve heard about a factory-built pickup.
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