WMN:

The differentials in the New Defender are infinitely variable -- like a clutch (easiest way to describe it). It was developed by a German supplier and over the past 10 years and pioneered in the LR Evoque. Picture two clutches in each differential -- front and rear in the center and right and left in the rear.

Differential control is a measure of how over-aggressively the clutches engage. More control means more torque is being applied at each wheel -- beyond what is necessary for that wheel to just roll along with the other three wheels doing its equal part. So, with heavy control, you drag along a torquey wheel, bounce bounce bounce, creating drag and yaw in the vehicle, with each wheel all torque loaded and waiting for a momentary chance to be effective (very good for rock crawling and mud and ruts) -- and almost akin to old-fashion solid lockers.

Easy way to experience this is put the differential control at full on and drive a gravel, winding, hilly road and feel the yaw and dragging. Then put it on Auto and drive the same road again.

Enjoy!

 

NoGAbiker:

I am very excited to see the card Ben sent you. Thank you for sharing it !

The preset configs all make sense for each of the three settings (for fuel addition aggression, differential clutch aggression, individual wheel braking aggression), as I expected they would be.

fuel addition aggression = accelerator response
differential clutch aggression = differential control
individual (fast) wheel braking aggression = traction sensitivity

I am not sure JLR was trying to be as clear as they could about what actually happens within each capability? I do think the modes are easier to understand if they were named as I note here. Particularly the wheel braking one -- less aggression applying the fast braking capability means more wheel spin is allowed to happen and vice versa.

What I will ask when I go next to Biltmore is HOW does the sensor logic work for AUTO mode? It must be that it maps into an algorithm with a lot more sensor information than is necessary to run the configured settings, and moves the three aggression settings independently -- and with more sensitivity than shown in the pre-set modes. How much more sensitivity, I wonder?

The vehicle is mapping the algorithm constantly. If a driver leaves the vehicle in a pre-set mode selection which causes the sensor optimization algorithm to go "out of bounds", the driver receives a strongly worded ... "hey dum dum how about you switch into AUTO mode?" on the center console. It is a fun moment the first time that occurs .....

Enjoy!

P.S. I was out and about off-road in my dinosaur (LR4) this weekend. So sad. Definitely not a New Defender, I have to admit. I still love them both, even so.

 

@TrioLRowner - I agree with AUTO as the preferred mode. I drove about 30 miles on a beach today and started out with SAND. Whenever the beach was hard packed (aka, over 20 mph) it just "whined" a lot and seemed under powered. With AUTO it handled the switch between packed sand, loamy sand, packed beach edge & back and forth. AUTO would seamlessly adapt to the conditions. After so many years driving other 4x4's this was again almost boring! The Defender would drift at times but never did it seem to be out of control for the conditions. FWIW - I didn't even air down the tires. I have them set at Light Load and figured I would wait until things either got hairy or I got stuck before airing down. Never needed.

 

The sand mode is a bit mis-named IMO .

I would have named it "desert sand / deep snow". Use it any time you need the tires to spin with excessive torque in order to clear out the path in front of the tires. I define "deep snow" as anything deeper than 5 inches or so.

 

A bit off topic - but does anybody have similar info on what the different "on road" modes do? Eco, Comfort? Does shifting into the "S" mode change any of these same settings (wheel spin, throttle, diff), or is it purely changing the shift points on the transmission?

Like most of you - I just leave it in Auto all the time, but curious what is actually happening if I select any of these other options.

 

S mode primarily changes the shift point on the transmission. It also factors in your braking input to hold the revs a bit longer to help slow the vehicle. It does not changes the wheel spin, throttle, diff., or steering feel.

I have not commented on steering feel because I do not find that useful to me- -- always normal works for me. The vehicle has electric steering, no hydraulics -- so changing the feel is relatively easy for the mfg. to offer.

I do not have Eco mode on the P300. I suspect it probably has something to do with the hybrid options (which I try to avoid).

"Comfort" is JLRs term for normal road experience -- which according to the chart above has the following settings: accelerator aggression - medium, differential aggression - low, individual wheel fast braking aggression - medium. These make sense to me, as departures from them for each of the modes is quite logical.

I never use comfort because disabling auto as the default setting can get you stuck (quite easily) if you enter slippery grass/snow/gravel, mud or desert sand / deep snow with comfort selected.

The disadvantage to Auto, but not noted by Ben, is that in Auto you CANNOT disable DSC (stability control). When you need to have momentum on your side, even if slipping sideways, you should engage either mud ruts or desert sand / deep snow and then disengage DSC. THEN RE-ENGAGE DSC AS SOON AS PRACTICAL (it is a useful safety feature). Or return to Auto, which will also automatically engage DSC.

Enjoy !

 

Good points. Ben did harp on turning off DSC in places where momentum was necessary -- he didn't specifically say that Auto prevents that and I didn't realize it. He was assuming if you were in such a situation you'd be using the appropriate Mode and then just disable DSC to get through the slippery stuff.

Thanks!

 

One big difference with Sport is it eliminates 8th gear access. I always engage S as soon as I start driving, and then have to remember to bump over into standard Auto mode (Auto with the shifter) when on the freeway if I want max mileage.

Also, Sport eliminates Reverse, which is weird. Took me a long time to get used to having to bump the shifter back into normal before I could grab Reverse in a parking lot. I think that's imbecilic on LR's part.

And while we're at it...

HUGE safety issue that I can't believe they have left in the shifting mechanism. If you don't squeeze the button when pushing the lever forward (for Reverse) or back (for Drive), you get the same exact tactile feel of the shifter as if you remembered to push it, but you haven't effected your desired change to R or D. So you're turning around in a tight alley, you cut the wheel and roll up to a barrier, then THINK you're shifting into Reverse so you can cut back and turn around. But you forget to push the button. You bump the shifter forward, while looking over shoulder or in your mirrors, and give it gas. But you're still in Drive and plow forward into the wall. They TOTALLY should have a lockout with that button that prevents mechanical movement of the shifter itself without the button, so your hand would tell your brain, "Hey, something's wrong! This thing won't move forward like it's supposed to when I push on it."