Fleet World road tester Alisdair Suttie files his weekly diary on the Land Rover Defender PHEV.

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Monday

As a fan of the new generation of Land Rover Defender, the arrival this week of a 110 PHEV plug-in hybrid model stirred up some excitement. This should, after all, be the ideal business user’s version of the butch off-roader in five-door form. With carbon dioxide emissions rated at between 74 and 88g/km, it’s also impressive for something of this size, weight and broad ability.

Tuesday

When the Defender arrived yesterday, it had only a mile or so worth of battery charge, so first task this morning was to top it up. Easily done at a ChargePlace Scotland point using the £10 card that provides free charging at any of these machines. Fully replenished, the display now shows 27 miles, which is the upper end of Land Rover’s claimed EV-only range.

Wednesday

You can select EV-only running with a button on the dash, and you can also opt for Hybrid or Save modes. The latter lets you store battery power for use in town. It takes a bit of faffing to get the Defender to drive off on electric power, and this means foregoing heated seats and air conditioning. On the move, they can be reinstated, but why not just let the car pull away on battery power? On the move, I managed 25 miles on battery power, albeit with greatly reduced acceleration.

Thursday

A day of mixed driving after another quick battery recharge first thing. Allowing the Defender to choose which mix of petrol and electric it prefers restores performance and, wow, is this thing quick for its size. 0-62mph is claimed in 5.6 seconds and it feels it, though driving like this drains both types of fuel and I also saw as little as 23mpg on the dash gauge when the car was running on just the 2.0-litre petrol engine.

Friday

Round my rural neck of the woods, a high-riding SUV is handy for seeing over hedgerow for oncoming cars. In the Defender, I’m sat higher than most van drivers and certainly have more altitude than in a pick-up truck. Despite this, the Land Rover feels quite nimble until you meet another wide car or tractor, where the Defender’s girth becomes all too apparent. However, it’s not an issue ducking a wheel into the verge.

Saturday

Ferrying the kids around this morning and the Defender is a talking point among some of the other parents. A couple hate it on principle, while others love on looks alone. Few cars ignite such strong feelings in those who are not driving it or asked to live with. More of an issue for me is the £72,000-plus list of this car, with an added £7,000 of extras. For a fleet user, you do have to be prepared to pay for the undoubted capabilities of this Land Rover.

Sunday

Mulling over the Defender with a Discovery-owning friend this morning. Her own car has the 2.0-litre diesel engine and she’s less than impressed with its economy given current fuel prices. As the Defender PHEV can still tow up to 3500kg, this would allow her to lug her horsebox with ease, while EV-only would save her on shorter trips. For this type of company driver, Land Rover has scored a direct, if niche, hit.