New Land Rover protype to test in Kenya

In this file photo taken on January 10, 2019 the front of a Land Rover Range Rover car is seen at a Land Rover dealership in Wakefield, northern England, on Janaury 10, 2019. [AFP]

Jaguar Land Rover’s revamped Defender sport utility vehicle is headed for the rugged slopes of Kenya to tow heavy loads and wade through rivers before the resurrected icon goes on sale next year.

Testing of the prototype will take place in the Borana Conservancy and include carrying supplies across unforgiving terrain in real-world trials at the 14,000 hectare reserve, the carmaker said.

Land Rover in 2015 ceased production of the boxy British legend with legions of fans across a seven-decade lifespan.