Survival expert, adventurer, bug-eater and urine connoisseur Bear Grylls has been announced as a long-term global ambassador for Land Rover. The British TV presenter and writer is a natural fit for the Land Rover brand, embodying the firm's 'Above and Beyond' spirit.

Bear, whose real name is Edward Michael Grylls, served in the SAS early in his career, before suffering a parachuting freefall accident in 1996. Despite partially crushing three vertebrae, he went on to become one of the youngest people ever to climb Mount Everest. He's since partaken in several other expeditions but is best known for his work on several survival TV series, including Man vs. Wild and Escape from Hell.

Of his collaboration with Land Rover, Grylls says,"I’ve used Land Rover vehicles throughout my life, during my military career, on countless expeditions and then while filming." He adds, "They always deliver a rugged reliability that you can always count on when the chips are down in hostile environments." Among his duties at Land Rover will be mentoring next-generation explorer 22-year-old Alex Woodford, already supported by Land Rover and winner of the recent Discovery Adventure Challenge.

Grylls joins previous Land Rover brand ambassadors like Sir Ranulph Fiennes and Ben Saunders.

One of his first projects with the automaker is this short teaser video previewing a new 'adventure' for Land Rover—one the off-road brand confirms will lead to the launch of the LR2-replacing Discovery Sport on September 3.

_______________________________________

Follow Motor Authority on Facebook, Twitter, and Google +.