Reception

The Defender has been well received by the motoring press, all reviews underlining that it is significantly different from its chassis-based predecessor: "It’s all very Defender – but not as we know it" declared the Evening Standard;^[8] "Born-again off-roader follows a new path and is all the better for it" declared the Motoring website.^[9] "Combine (its) seemingly impossible blend of qualities with a fantastic looking package inside and out and you have a vehicle that is literally like no other".^[10] A TFL Car review was critical of the quality of the cars, with readers giving accounts of problems within the first few weeks of ownerships and with only up to a few hundred miles of driving.^[11] Poor reliability has been a recurring theme with many Land Rover models.^[12]

In 2019, Lego announced a 2,573-piece "LEGO Land Rover Defender" set based on the vehicle, released in October 2019. It is one of the largest sets ever made by Lego.^[13]

Mechanical specifications

The Defender 110 is 5,018 mm (197.6 in) long including the spare wheel on the rear door, or 4,758 mm (187.3 in) without it, and has a wheelbase of 3,022 mm (119.0 in). The Defender 90 is 4,583 mm (180.4 in) long including the spare wheel and 4,323 mm (170.2 in) without, with a weight from 2,133 kilograms (4,702 lb) with a 4-cylinder diesel engine.^[14]

Defender 90 models with coil spring suspension have a ground clearance of 226 mm (8.9 in) whilst the 110 and the 90 with air suspension have a maximum ground clearance of 291 mm (11.5 in).^[15]

The initial engine choice will be from the following JLR Ingenium engines: D200 - a 196 bhp (146 kW) 2.0-litre 4-cylinder turbodiesel, D240 2.0-litre 4-cylinder turbodiesel of 237 bhp (177 kW), P300 2.0-litre 4-cylinder turbo petrol of 296 bhp (221 kW), P400 3.0-litre 6-cylinder turbo petrol mild hybrid of 395 bhp (295 kW) and P400e which is only available for the 110 which makes 398 bhp (297 kW). For the 2021 model year (announced September 2020), the following JLR Ingenium in-line 6-cylinder diesel engines with mild hybrid technology are available: D200, D250, D300.^[16]

All variants are fitted with a ZF 8-speed automatic transmission coupled with a 2-speed transfer case.^[3] Base models come with the white steel wheels as standard fitment.

In the US and Canada, the 90 model is only offered in a limited edition First Edition and the 3.0 6 cylinder engine while the 110 is offered in both the limited edition First Edition with 3.0 engine as well as the regular models with both 3.0 or 2.0 engines.

Front mount 4,536-kilogram (10,000 lb) load-rated winch is officially supported, most unibody cars do not support winches.^[17]

Trim levels and interior

The Defender is available in Standard, S, SE, XS, HSE, X, V8 and V8 Carpathian Edition trim lines. Land Rover also offers four accessory packs, called Explorer, Adventure, Urban and Country, which include various accessories such as a raised air intake, extended mud flaps, a side-mounted storage box, and more.

The entry-level 110 models will come equipped with air suspension, 18-inch steel wheels, LED headlights, and a 10.0-inch touchscreen infotainment system. The Defender 90 comes with coil springs, a standard front jump seat that adds a third seating position to the front row. Models with front bucket seats can be equipped with a wide centre console. The car debuts Jaguar Land Rover's Pivi Pro infotainment system, accessed through a 10-inch touch screen.

There are also Hard Top or Commercial versions of both the 90 and 110 variants, in a number of different trim levels, available as Euro N1 vehicles, fully VAT deductible, in the UK and other markets.

Safety

The Defender has been tested to 5 stars by Euro NCAP.^[18]

2021 Bond Edition Defender

Released alongside the 25th James Bond movie, No Time to Die, the Bond Edition Defenders^[19] were three hundred 2020 Defenders created by Land Rover to celebrate the car's appearance in the film. The Bond Edition Defender used a 518 Horsepower 5.0 Litre supercharged V8 and utilised the same gearbox as the standard V8 model. It came with all black exterior and 22" black alloy wheels paired with a rear 'Defender 007' badge and blue brake calipers. The infotainment system was fitted with a custom startup screen to commemorate Land Rover's long lasting relations with the bond franchise. The interior sported 'Defender 007' treadplates and all black seating. The car also sports exterior 007 graphic puddle lamps. The cars had either 90 or 110 wheelbases and had a starting price of £105,000.

75th Anniversary Limited Edition

The Land Rover Defender 75th Anniversary Edition^[20] is a modified variant of the 2020 Defender with all Grasmere green paint (as a nod to the original 1948 HUE 166, 1st production Land Rover), for both the main body, wheels and interior cross beam. It is available in either a 300 horsepower, mild or plug-in automatic, all wheel drive diesel hybrid. The 75th Anniversary Edition also features a unique '75 Years' graphic placed across the entire vehicle. It can be purchased with either a panoramic sunroof or folding fabric roof. The mild hybrid version can be purchased with either 90" or 110" wheelbases, whilst the plug-in is strictly the 110" variant. The starting price for this car is around £86,000 ($105,000)

Defender X

The Defender D300 X is essentially a performance variant of the base Defender. According to CarExpert, it has 220 kW (299 PS; 295 hp) and 650 N⋅m (479 lbf⋅ft).^[21]

• Defender 110 X
• Defender 110 X

Defender V8

The Defender V8 is a performance variant of the Defender, with faster speed than the Defender X. It uses a supercharged AJ133 5.0-litre V8 engine. Top speed ranges from 191–240 km/h (119–149 mph), with 386 kW (518 hp), with a 0-100 of about 5.2 to 5.4 seconds.^[22][23] It is 625 N⋅m (461 lbf⋅ft), and uses the same supercharged 5.0-litre V8 engine from the Jaguar F-Type. The Defender V8 is available in the compact 90, and the mid-size 110 and the large 130.

• Defender 110 X P525
• Defender 110 X P525

Defender 90 engine specifications

Defender 110 engine specifications