The all-new Land Rover Defender will look great on the school run, where it will out-cool rivals such as the Mercedes GLE or Volvo XC90, but it also has all the off-road capabilities that you would ever need – and probably some you’ll never need, too.
It has a modern cool design, comes with some neat tech and is spacious too. So it can do everything those posh lifestyle SUVs can do, with the added reassurance of awesome off-road and towing ability. The Land Rover Defender is an off-road equivalent. It’s a comfortable, practical and stylish SUV that you can drive across a desert, should you wish. Although you probably won’t.
You can clearly see the original Land Rover in the design of the new Defender. This is especially the case at the rear, with its flat back end, complete with spare wheel and side-hinged rear door that opens outwards, and the Alpine lights in the roof.
The front’s looks aren’t quite so classic. The roundish headlights look a bit like those on the original Defender, but the bluff front grille gives the Defender a much more modern look.
As with the original, the new Land Rover Defender comes in the short-wheelbase 90 model and the 110 long-wheelbase version. You can customize your own car’s look with a range of optional accessories – there are 170 of them – from protective body panels to a raised air intake for when you’re wading through deep water.
Entry-level cars come with a body-colored roof, white-painted, 18-inch steel wheels and LED headlights, while top-spec cars get big alloy wheels and contrasting paintwork. But even the steel wheels in the basic models look cool and don’t make the Defender seem cheap.
Cheap isn’t how you’d describe the interior either. It’s another mixture of traditional and modern, like a fashionable city-center flat with top-spec tech and exposed brickwork. Soft materials sit alongside deliberately exposed screws and rubber floor mats (though you can get carpet if you like).
Standard
As standard you get a body-colored roof, automatic headlights and wipers, puddle lights and 19-inch alloy wheels. Inside you get aether steering wheel, two-zone climate control and key less entry. The infotainment system comes with a 10-inch touchscreen with Apple Car Play and Android Auto. Safety kit includes a 3D surround camera, cruise control with speed limiter, lane keeping assist and a wade sensing system.
S
Over the standard car, Defender S models get an interactive driver's display and the click and go integrated base unit for the front seats. They also come with 19-inch alloy wheels.
SE
Over the kit you get in the standard Defender, SE gets blind spot assist and a clear exit monitor that will warn you if any potential hazards as you get out of the car. You also get the Clear Sight interior rear mirror that uses a rear-facing camera if your view out the rear is blocked. You can tell it's an SE model on the outside with its front fog lights and electrically folding heated door mirrors
X-Dynamic S
The Defender X-Dynamic range starts with the S, which alongside the styling add-ons for this trim range, has 19-inch alloys, all-season tyres, a 10-inch touchscreen, a 360-degree camera, keyless entry and leather seats.
X-Dynamic SE
Moving up from the X-Dynamic S, the SE version has upgraded LED headlights, 20-inch alloy wheels, a video rear-view mirror, blind spot assist and a Meridian stereo system.
First Edition
Over the standard car, the Defender First Edition comes with electronic air suspension and a configurable Terrain Response system. You also get premium LED headlights, privacy glass and 20-inch alloy wheels. The steering wheel is heated and you get a leather gearshift and you get the Clear Sight interior rear view mirror, which uses a camera if your view out the back is blocked.
HSE
Over SE models, HSE cars get a sliding panoramic roof, heated and cooled front seats with adjustable memory, a heated steering wheel and a leather interior. On the safety front, HSE models get adaptive cruise control, rear collision monitor and rear traffic monitor.
X-Dynamic HSE
The X-Dynamic HSE comes with Matrix LED headlights, 20-inch alloy wheels, extra leather on the inside including on the steering wheel, a panoramic sunroof and 14-way electric front seats.
X
As well as the kit that comes with the standard car, the Defender X gets electronic air suspension and Land Rover's Terrain Response 2 system. On the exterior you can see orange brake callipers, a gloss black bonnet and various bits of chrome detailing. You get 20-inch alloys too. Inside you get the ClearSight interior rear view mirror, an upgraded Meridian sound system and a head-up display.
Engines available with 2L & 3L petrol , 2L & 3L diesel , 2L hybrid
