Hi all,

I am going to order a new MY2023 Defender and try to complete my online configurator. Since I am pretty new to LR and my sales representative seems not quite confident with my questions, I guess here might be a better place to ask...

1) I noticed there is a new synthetic/animal-free material called Resist in the MY2023 build. Has anybody actually seen and felt the material? How does it compare to leather?
2) I am still leaning towards the Windsor leather with the extended leather upgrade, but just curious if I don't have the extended leather upgrade, what material will be used?
3) Do I have to choose a basic or premium interior protection package? If I don't choose one, does the car come with some mats/carpets by default? It is kind of weird that I need to pay extra to get the carpets.
4) How about activity key? For people who have it, do you feel it is useful?
5) Has anybody heard any forms of incentives/discounts for the defender? I talked to a few dealers nearby and none of them have any sort of incentives. I know it is probably the reality right now, but still want to double-check...

Here is my current build https://build.landrover/2DBF70AE

Thanks in advance!

 

1. I have not seen or felt the material.
2. I have the extended leather I love it. If you dont get it, it will have a nice almost canvas material called Robustec. Unless they've changed that for MY23
3. You don't have to choose. I went with the basic protection pack and I'm happy I did. I'm assuming the carpet mats come no matter what because I received them even though I got the deep sided plastic mats.
4. Dont have it. I use the Remote app.
5. With an overflowing order book, I'd be grateful with getting away with MSRP. It will probably MY 2024 before you see any kind of customer leverage.

 

Thanks AvoTow for the detailed reply!

 

The main advantage of the activity key is that it is really light weight compared to the key fobs. It's also waterproof. The remote app is fine, but doesn't work without cell service, and I'm not sure I'd want to rely on it anyway.

 

4. It's one of those accessories that doesn't sound that useful, until you've worn it around your wrist for a few days, then you quickly come to appreciate the convenience of not misplacing or having to carry around the original fob. I wear it all the time on my right wrist (the left is still for my "regular" watch), not only when off-roading, camping, swimming or hiking, which is what I thought I was going to use it for originally. I just need to remember to recharge it overnight every couple of weeks, and unbuckle it and give it to the attendant when I valet (the attendants always make puzzled faces when I hand them a wristwatch instead of a key fob. I guess it's still a novel concept.) I'll be really sad the day it breaks or stops taking a charge, and it's built so cheaply (it looks kinda cheap, too), that eventually something will happen to it, I am sure. I still love it, though.

 

Resist is polyurethane (pleather). Not really judgemental, some of the most durable seats I ever had were BMW pleather but I think those were PVC? They were stiff and really didn't look like leather but they looked brand new after 3 years.

There's a video on this playlist:

https://m.youtube.com/playlist?list=...pQs5zGM6EVDCat

 

Yea I know the remote app has its limitation, not very easy to use... hope LR can have apple carkey like BMW cars...

 

I only use the activity key and I love it. Not having to place that bulky key in my pocket is amazing.

I got the rubber mats which I think area great. Its probably best to order them online where someone offers a discount...many dealers online will offer some discount on accessories. I went with it during my order..my sales guide told me that it did not come with carpet mats, so I had to make a decision to buy either or but that was wrong and now I have an extra set of carpet mats I will never use in the garage.

The windsor leather is very nice. It also came with more adjustment possibilities on my defender. With that said I have decided to order seat covers so not sure how much that will change the effect of having the top of the line leather option.