Your Smart Phone Is Dual SIM? So Is My Land Rover Defender

• Land Rover’s Pivi Pro infotainment system has its own battery, modem, and processor.
• A similar processor will be used by the Defender’s control systems and for software updates.
• The car shown at CES featured 16 control modules which can be updated without visiting a dealership.

The Consumer Electronics Show is an exhibition of the most cutting-edge technologies and advanced computing devices in the world. We did not expect Land Rover Defenders sitting at Qualcomm and Blackberry’s pavillions. But the Defender 110 and 90 were at CES 2020 because they each have two eSIMs, two Qualcomm Snapdragon 820Am processors, and two X12 LTE modems. 

Equipped with this technology, the Defender can simultaneously download and install over-the-air (OTA) software updates and play media through the Pivi Pro infotainment system. This means that your internet connection, navigation, and infotainment apps will work without fighting one another for processing power or internet bandwidth. 

Just a few years ago, the Defender was known for its boxy design and Teutonic but old-fashioned off-roading hardware. The new Defender is one of the most advanced and sophisticated tech packages in the business. 

Land Rover unveiled the new Defender at the Frankfurt Motor Show in 2019. The carmaker claimed that the Defender could receive OTA updates for 14 of its electronic control modules. Now, Land Rover says that the first production models will take that number up to 16. The Defender will get OTA updates for more than 45 control modules before the end of 2021. 

Each of the Defender’s X12 modems has an in-built global navigation satellite system (GNSS). The system can accurately tell the location and spatial orientation of the car using automotive dead reckoning. 

Blackberry’s QNX Hypervisor was used to build the Defender’s advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) as well as the Pivi Pro infotainment system. The infotainment and safety systems are isolated from each other to ensure their reliability. “This is critical to ensuring that compromised systems, or those requiring updates, won’t impact driving functions,” Land Rover says. 

You don’t even need to have your phone with you in the car to listen to your Spotify playlist. JLR claims that it is the first carmaker to use CloudCar, which helps the car access cloud-based information for any user. If you still want to connect your phone, up to two phones can be simultaneously connected to the infotainment for hands-free calling and infotainment. 

Expect the 2020 Defender to arrive on Indian shores by 2021 (link to story). It remains to be seen if Land Rover will equip the India-spec Defender with all the features above. Following in the steps of the Volvo XC40, the Defender may have connected car features and basic active safety systems when launched. It is likely to be priced above Rs 70 lakh if it arrives as a completely built unit.