However, it is interesting to note that these acid-tongued critiques are often fired from the very same people who attacked the old model’s cramped ergonomics, exhausting lack of refinement on longer treks and antiquated interior amenities. Take them to task over this blatant hypocrisy and they’ll justify it with some kind of throw-away comment like, “Ja, bro, but at least you could actually take the old one off-road.”

Okay, I’m no expert when it comes to venturing off the beaten path. I’ve been up and down a few Namibian sand dunes, but that’s about it. Generally I try not to traverse anything gnarlier than a badly corrugated dirt road because a) I’m not very skilled in this department and b) I have a healthy respect for the path unbeaten. As such I’m not really able to regale you with a Camel Man-esque assessment of how the new Defender performs when you drive it deep into the baddest of bundus.

But from what I’ve heard, watched and read from people more schooled than me in this area of expertise, Land Rover’s new kid on the block is pretty darn accomplished. Good enough to follow in the tyre treads of its forebear? Absolutely – and, in some cases, even leave it trailing behind. Simple reason being that the new Defender comes with a cache of electronic driver aids that make off-roading a more straightforward affair.

In the old model you really had to ponder what you were doing and apply your experience and learnings to successfully traverse different terrains. Here you just dial in the appropriate program on the Terrain Response system (there are no less than six to choose from) and let the car do all the thinking for you. And as the transmission is now fully automatic, all you really need to do is steer. Brilliant.

You also get adaptive air suspension, hill descent control, a low-range transfer box and the fiendishly clever Ground View camera system that lets you see – in real time – the terrain beneath your front wheels. This helps you better position the vehicle and avoid obstacles without having to leave the cabin. So to underestimate the new Defender’s mud-slinging capabilities is a grave and foolish mistake: of all the mainstream 4x4s on the market today, this Landy certainly ranks as one of the most talented.