Most popular optional extra for the Land Rover Defender in South Africa

No optional extra for the Land Rover Defender in South Africa has proven to be quite as popular as the Comfort and Convenience Pack.

Between November 2022 and September 2023, a staggering 89% of domestic Defender customers opted to pay for this add-on, the British marque revealed, electing to add another layer of user-friendliness to their rugged SUV.

For the not-outrageous sum of R10,200, the Comfort and Convenience Pack adds premium cabin lighting with 10 configurable settings to suit mood and driving conditions, a front centre-console refrigerator to keep drinks chilled, a wireless smartphone charger, and lidded twin front cupholders.

Tailor-made Defenders

While it was the most chosen, the Comfort and Convenience Pack wasn’t the only paid-for extra that was frequently ticked by the Defender’s South African patrons.

In second, chosen 74% of the time, was the optional spare wheel cover in body colour at R8,600, which adds a colour-matched plastic panel across the tailgate-mounted spare wheel to retain consistency in the exterior design.

Next up was the R7,400 electric tow bar which was selected in 65% of all orders.

At the push of a button, this option sees a tow hitch unfurl itself from its discreet hiding place behind the rear bumper, immediately making the SUV ready to haul up to 3,500kg.

Matrix LED headlights with signature daytime running lights were the fourth most popular fitment.

Built to enhance night-time visibility with dynamic high beams, an impressive 64% of buyers equipped these LED fixtures to their Defender for between R15,300 and R17,300, depending on whether they got the 90, 110, or 130 body styles.

Style is important for clients of the Land Rover brand, and a good 42% have therefore elected to decorate their Defender with illuminated metal treadplates bearing the brand-name script which is offered at no additional cost on select trim levels.

In short order, 40% of these individuals have also chosen to spec their vehicle with the optional Family Pack that starts at R29,900.

The Family Pack includes the Air Purification Plus system that monitors and controls CO2 levels inside the cabin, an air quality sensor that detects harmful gases outside the car and activates the interior recirculation mode when necessary, as well as third-row seating with three-zone climate control.

Another often-selected stylistic accessory is the Extended Black Exterior Pack which saw favour from 38% of Defender customers.

At R8,000, the cosmetic treatment brings a gloss-black grille bar with matching bonnet and tailgate lettering, in addition to a gloss-black chequer finisher on the bonnet.

Last, but not least, of the most popular Defender options in South Africa were the R15,000 electronic active differential which was included in 35% of all orders, and the R17,500 Off-Road Pack which was selected in 25%.

Improving the breadth of abilities on an already highly-capable SUV, the electronic active differential controls slip between the left and right rear wheels through torque vectoring by braking, thus providing enhanced grip in adverse conditions.

The Off-Road Pack, on the other hand, comprises the installation of a domestic plug socket in the rear load area for powering devices in addition to the aforementioned electronic active differential, while the Defender 130 further gets all-terrain tyres when this option is checked off.