Land Rover's new Defender has a starring role in the next James Bond film, and one of the models used in filming is on display at the LA motor show.

The rugged 4x4 is making its North American debut, and unlike its predecessor it will be available to order there through official channels.

The latest instalment in the iconic secret agent series, No Time to Die, will be released in the UK on 3 April 2020, and will feature the reborn off-roader taking part in a traditional car chase sequence.

The exact nature of the Defender’s role has yet to be confirmed, but Land Rover claims the production’s stunt team have driven it in “the most extreme off-road conditions, demonstrating its unstoppable nature”.

A video clip released by the firm (below) shows a group of Defenders being driven at speed on challenging off-road terrain and jumping high into the air, with one clip showing the car seemingly rolling onto its side.

The Defender selected for the film is the mid-sized 110 variant, which will arrive in UK dealerships ahead of the shorter 90 and longer 130. It has been specified in range-topping X trim, and equipped with options including 20in black alloy wheels and heavy-duty off-road tyres.

Speculation that the Defender could appear in No Time to Die was fuelled by spy shots of the model on set in August, a month before it was officially unveiled at the Frankfurt motor show.

The SUV will appear alongside Aston Martin’s upcoming Valhalla hypercar, which was confirmed as the hero car in June. The mid-engined hybrid is the latest in a long line of Aston models to feature in Bond films, following past appearances from the firm’s DB5, DBS, Vanquish, V8 Vantage and one-off DB10 models.

Land Rover has also confirmed that its Range Rover Sport SVR will appear in the new film, alongside a selection of historic models including the Series III and Range Rover Classic.

Read more

New Defender makes UK debut at Goodwood Revival​

What it's like to drive James Bond's Aston Martin DB5

The best cars of James Bond​