High-end European sport-utility vehicles (SUV) from Audi, Porsche, BMW and Mercedes-Benz are often found inside exclusive residential enclaves in Makati or Alabang.

These luxurious leviathans are meant for families who want the ultimate creature comforts, while having supreme practicality and space. Put another way, it’s for the sort of Filipinos who wouldn’t be caught dead in a Toyota Innova.

Given that these posh SUVs are so expensive, their generous ground clearance will never be troubled by ruts, gravel, mud and off-road trails. And then there’s Land Rover.

The British carmaker has built its entire reputation on the fact that it can "climb ev’ry mountain" and "ford ev’ry stream." Models like the original Land Rover Defender were instrumental in cementing this legendary status for centuries to come.

But given that Land Rover has moved substantially upmarket, the new Defender has followed suit by combining the latest off-road tech with the refinement that you expect from the people who make the Range Rover.

ICATS British Motors Inc., the official importer and distributor of Jaguar and Land Rover in the Philippines, invited the media to the first-ever Defender Experience. We got a chance to take it through its paces at the Arca South Interactive Park in Taguig City.

‘Grace, not pace’

Typical for events like these, there’s a briefing on what driving obstacles to expect and what features we would use to overcome them.

What’s not so typical is the company's head honcho doing the briefing himself. But given that Land Rover Philippines president Chris Ward is a Certified Jaguar Land Rover Instructor, he gladly sat us down in an air-conditioned lounge to walk us through the day’s events.

“Grace, not pace,” he emphasized. 

Put another way, driving in severe off-road conditions is not about welding the gas pedal to the floor. It's about finesse, patience and having the proper feel of the surface.

Gliding over ruts

First off, a shotgun ride in the Defender 110 in the Playground course.

Certified Jaguar Land Rover Instructor Emil Querijero took the five-door luxury SUV through the sort of terrain that would make a BMW X5 owner wince. From axle-twisting ruts to 25-degree side slopes, the Defender 110 went through it all with no fuss or drama.

When we traded places, I felt for myself how on Earth this plush off-roader did it all. The standard air suspension and traction control system were nothing short of brilliant, working together to adapt to every obstacle and requiring very minimal taps on the accelerator to proceed.

The immense ground clearance and air dampers also meant there was none of the harsh bouncing and jiggling that I normally experience when I do these off-road events.

Every two-foot rut felt like a mere pothole, so I could focus more on positioning the car than anticipating corrections from harsh bumps.

In addition, the surround-view camera system helped me see the road when all my windows were full of blue sky or brown gravel. And the yellow onscreen guide markers meant I could easily position the wheels on wood logs that were exactly the width of the tires.

Totally planted

Up next, the Extreme course in the Defender 90 with Leland Pascual from Ramirez & Cutter.

This time, we went through much more severe off-road conditions that would leave Audi Q7 owners in tears.

At some point in the course, I had to look up at Leland with the Friday morning sky as his background, while looking down meant seeing the side mirrors much closer to terra firma than I’m used to.

At the changeover point, I got behind the wheel of this three-door off-roading machine. The biggest difference, of course, is the lack of air suspension.

Nonetheless, the regular coil spring setup offered plenty of wheel articulation, especially when I went up a three-foot hill that had my left-front and right-rear wheels up in the air. Again, the cameras and the Defender’s innate stability meant there was nothing really to fear.

And the Defender’s standard hill-descent control system meant coming down from a 15-foot hill with a 50-degree slope was as gentle as Mary Poppins flying down using her umbrella.

Premium from start to finish

The Defender Experience doesn’t stop with the exceedingly refined off-road driving.

In an air-conditioned tent next to the briefing room, Wolfgang’s Steakhouse was on hand to provide steak sandwiches with mustard and truly delectable, dry-aged beef burger sliders.

There were also complimentary drinks abound, along with a pair of Defenders that you can check out, together with a bevy of camping equipment should you decide to sleep in the wilderness that you've conquered.

The Defender Experience was strictly invite-only, with Defender owners also getting the chance to use their own cars on the course. 

But if you take Land Rover Philippines up on its invitation – you’ll rediscover the true meaning of an SUV, all without compromising the opulence that the British marque delivers.

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