PM Narendra Modi Visits Vantara Safari In Land Rover Defender Customized by Ambanis [Video]
Prime Minister Narendra Modi recently inaugurated Vantara, a wildlife rescue, rehabilitation, and conservation center established by Reliance Industries and Reliance Foundation in Jamnagar, Gujarat. As part of the inauguration, the Prime Minister visited the conservation center, and a video of the event has been circulating online. While most people were focused on the animals in the video, our attention was drawn to the vehicles. We saw Prime Minister Modi traveling in a Land Rover Defender that had been customized by the Ambanis for safaris in Vantara.
The video was shared by ANI News on their YouTube channel. In this video, we see Prime Minister Narendra Modi traveling inside the facility in an open jeep. Initially, he is seen sitting in the co-passenger seat of an Isuzu pickup. We even see him playing with tiger, leopard, and lion cubs in a closed room.
Six minutes into the video, the Prime Minister is seen once again on a safari inside Vantara. This time, he is not in an Isuzu but inside the modified Land Rover Defender that the Ambanis recently purchased. This is probably the first time we have seen a Land Rover Defender being used for a purpose like this. The Defender has been completely customized into a safari vehicle.
We get a glimpse of the SUV when the Prime Minister is checking out the cheetah enclosure in Vantara. The SUV’s roof has been chopped off, and the body has been reinforced. There are metal rods in place of the B and C pillars, serving as support for the fabricated roof of the safari vehicle.
The roof height has been increased, allowing a person to stand comfortably inside the vehicle and observe the animals. We see cheetahs freely roaming around the Defender. The Defender is painted in a beautiful shade of green. It is unclear whether this is a factory shade or part of the customization.
The Defender is undoubtedly the most expensive safari vehicle in Vantara, if not in all of India. Most wildlife sanctuaries use Mahindra Boleros and Gypsys as safari vehicles. This is the first time an expensive car like this has been used for such a purpose.
Land Rover Defender
The Defender safari vehicle is based on the 110 5-door variant. It is unclear if all the premium features of the Defender are still present in this SUV, as they wouldn’t be necessary for a safari, especially in an open-roof vehicle.
A regular Defender comes with features like a fully digital 12.3-inch instrument cluster, automatic climate control, a head-up display, wireless phone charging, connected car features, a premium Meridian sound system, electrically adjustable front seats, electronic air suspension that can be adjusted at the touch of a button, a 360-degree camera, heated front seats, blind-spot assist, front and rear parking sensors, six airbags, ABS, traction control, leather upholstery, rubber flooring, and more.
The Land Rover Defender is available with 2.0-liter and 3.0-liter petrol engines, as well as a 3.0-liter diesel engine. Land Rover has also introduced a 5.0-liter V8 petrol engine option for both the Defender 110 and 90 versions.