TReK was back and this year. The journalist wave tested out the course ahead of the retailer wave and we were there.
The process to purchase a new car can be one of dread. The dance with the sales agent that can be required can turn the best of us grey.
But what if that sales agent knows everything about that car you are looking at and is there to answer your questions rather than sell you on the talking points he or she knows? Would that change the experience for you?
Introducing Land Rover TReK.
Originally established in 1996 and modeled after the legendary Camel Trophy, this competition is designed to challenge and educate Land Rover Retailer employees from the U.S. and Canada. Located on the grounds of the famed Biltmore Estate, the Land Rover TRĕK Regional Trials make extensive use of the estate’s 8,000 acres, covering a wide range of terrain, including mud and ruts, water crossings and rock crawls.
And I got to be a part of it.
After a Covid hiatus, TReK was back and this year. The journalist wave tested out the course ahead of the retailer wave, which features teams from 70 Land Rover dealers across North America for the TRĕK qualifying trials. At the end of the trials (which are designed to educate and challenge sales, service, and technician personnel), the top teams compete against each other for all of the glory. In the process, the teams come back to their dealerships with first-hand knowledge about exactly what you can do with a 2022 Defender 110 P300 S.
Equipped with 18” Steel Wheels, Off-Road Pack, Towing Pack and a range of accessories to aid them in the competition, the Defender is the most capable Land Rover vehicle ever produced, and let me tell you it is up to any challenge, which was good because it was raining, and had been all night.
“We were thrilled to be able to bring the TReK competition back this year for all of our Land Rover retail staff across the U.S. and to give them the opportunity to not only learn but to experience firsthand what the Land Rover brand represents and utilize the New Defender to its fullest capabilities,” said Joe Eberhardt, president and CEO of Jaguar Land Rover North America, and the subject of this week’s Behind the Action.
AST: Joe, first off thank you for inviting myself and the Action Sports Today team out to TReK to experience this legendary competition first hand. The Land Rover marque values, Individualism, Adventure, Freedom, Authenticity, Guts, Supremacy, to capture the true spirit and mystique of Land Rover. With that in mind, the Defender was the car of choice for this year’s contest. What is it about the Defender and this contest that stands out to you?
JE: When we were in our preparations for the event, we thought since we have to set up the course for the 70 teams to come here and compete, we should invite you as a journalist and others to experience TReK and the Defender itself. The entire goal of TReK is to create a bond with the vehicle and it’s capabilities so as a retailer from the sales, service and technician aspect, the retailer knows this car and how they can better serve a customer. It is a unique and in my opinion one of the best ways to discover a car through TReK. The Defender is without question our most capable vehicle. That is not to say that any other Land Rover is not capable, you should never have to worry about taking any Land Rover off-road but the Defender is in a class of it’s own. The challenges showcase what the vehicle can do but more importantly what teams are able to achieve if you work together.
AST: While TReK is not open for vehicle owners, where can they experience something like this so they can learn more about their car and have that hands on instruction?
JE: Building off of the success of TReK, in early October, Land Rover consumers had the opportunity to have a modified TReK experience like the one featured for our journalists. It was a first ever consumer experience. The momentum for programs like this, where someone can learn and grow and build confidence in themselves and how that confidence can be shown through the car, is growing.
Additionally, we have the Land Rover experience and anyone who purchases a Land Rover can come here and be a part of the Land Rover experience. There are three locations in the United States in California, Vermont and the one here at the Biltmore in North Carolina where TReK is being held. There are different types of experiences you can sign up for, but the goal of each is to allow the driver to build confidence, refine their driving techniques, learn about their vehicle and most importantly have fun. Adventure is fun, and we want to be a catalyst for adventure, but to also be a catalyst for safe confident driving.
AST: After going through the competition, it turns out, most of the challenges are more about mastering driving skill and using effective teamwork than the proficiency of the Defender, because that is the one constant. Why is this the most important goal of TReK?
JE: The whole point was that there’s always a way to get through. Always. You just have to figure it out. The Defender might get stuck in the worst of it when it relies on its tires to pull itself clear, but there are alternatives: the winch at the front, the ratchet jack at the rear, the friction boards underneath. When there’s a river in the way, then build a bridge, just like you did in the competition. Building driver confidence and critical thinking makes for better drivers on the road. And for us as a brand, that is always better. Beyond the everyday driver, having the retailers participate fosters a better environment for the consumer to start their Land Rover journey.
That’s really what off-roading comes down to, and I hadn’t quite realized this until now. It’s not about going for a nice drive in the country, but all about making it past physical obstacles to the other side. Take it a step further, I thought as I watched my teammates sweat, and it becomes an allegory for life itself: if there’s an obstacle in the way, then figure out what’s needed to get beyond it, and make it happen.
Fortunately, the Defender does this better than most. It has tall ground clearance and capable articulation, so it’s not going to get hung up in the deep holes on the trail. It has very steep approach and departure angles, so it’s not going to dig its bumper into the ground when it tackles a sharp slope, nor tip over on the side of a hill. It has clever differentials, so it knows which wheels to turn for best traction and above all, it’s strong enough with all that steel that when it does take a hit, it shrugs it off.
