2021 Land Rover Defender

For most people, the Defender is the vehicle that jumps to mind when someone says, “Land Rover.” In production for 67 years and a global presence from Queen’s estate at Balmoral to the Kalahari or Sonoran deserts, the image of the original Land Rover Defender is woven into the collective subconscious.

Redesigning such an icon is delicate business, and the new Defender was slow in coming, but it finally arrived last year. Offered as the two-door Defender 90 and the larger four-door Defender 110, and the new truck’s design honors its predecessor in ways large and small: from the boxy shape, slab sides and upright windows, to the rear-mounted spare tire, the “safari” windows in the sides of the contrast-color roof and the big DEFENDER name spelled out on the hood. 

The Defender’s rugged persona is on full display in the cabin, which is less overtly luxurious than other Land Rovers but bristling with utility. Numerous storage compartments include a large open bay at the base of the center console. The dash incorporates a grab handle and a wide shelf, and the load floor’s textured vinyl surface that welcomes a muddy pair of wellies. 

The Defender also has jumped into the twenty-first century with digital instrumentation in most models and a 10-inch touchscreen that can display up to three functions at once including navigation, which is standard. The system also accepts over-the-air updates, which should help it age gracefully.

Unusually, buyers can choose three-across front seating with a middle-position jump seat. There’s also an available third-row seat, but it’s strictly for small-fries, and when in use there’s little luggage space behind it. Maximum cargo space ranges from 58.3 in the two-door to 78.8 cubic feet in the five-seat 110, and is accessed via a side-hinged door. Among butch off-road SUVs, that stacks up a little ahead of Ford’s full-size Bronco, the Mercedes-Benz G550, and Lexus’ GX460.

Base and S trims use a turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine with 296 horsepower, while all other Defenders get a 395-horsepower turbocharged and supercharged 3.0-liter inline-six bolstered by a mild-hybrid system. Either engine works with a highly polished eight-speed automatic. 

Despite having two different boost systems, the six-cylinder’s throttle response is smoothly linear through the accelerator’s long travel. Most drivers should find its grunt plenty sufficient, and either engine can tow up to 8,201 pounds (more than a GX460 or a G-class). Speed demons may want to wait for the 2022 model year, which will bring a 518-horsepower supercharged V8.

Both engines are thirsty. The Defender 90’s EPA combined estimate is 19 mpg with either engine, while the 110 is rated at 18 mpg with the four-cylinder and 19 with the six. That’s not so bad for the class, though. The G550 has an 18-mpg combined rating, the GX570 is at 16 mpg, and the four-door V6 Jeep Wrangler returns 19 or 21 mpg—although it’s optional diesel is good for 25 mpg.

The Defender’s standard all-wheel drive includes low-range gearing as well as a locking center differential and an (optional) locking rear differential. An adjustable-ride air suspension is standard on all 110 models and all 90 models save for the two lowest trims. Ground clearance is 11.5 inches, more than a Wrangler Rubicon. Also, the Defender’s tiny front and rear overhangs give it 38-degree approach and 40-degree departure angles, making it less likely to scrape the underbody on steep climbs or descents.

The Defender employs all manner of tech to help drivers access its off-road abilities. The available Terrain Response 2 system can automatically tailor the drivetrain’s various adjustments to the driver-selected conditions, while All Terrain Progress Control works like an off-road cruise control. 

The ClearSight Ground View system can stitch together multiple camera feeds to show what’s immediately ahead of the vehicle as if the front structure were transparent, a great help for precise placing of the front wheels in difficult terrain. Add the ability to drive through water up to 35.4 inches deep, and the Defender should be up for almost any challenge.

The tech helps in less-extreme situations, too. When reversing with a trailer, the Advanced Tow Assist allows the driver can use indicated the desired direction on the screen, while the system steers automatically. The 360-degree-view camera system shows two crisply rendered images at once, which is welcome even in a crowded Trader Joe’s parking lot.

After all, the Defender will spend most of its time on pavement, and the good news is that unlike Defenders of yore, here it comports itself in the manner of a luxury SUV. This Land Rover is much less tiresome on a highway trip than, say, a Wrangler. 

The suspension is unperturbed by most bumps and the steering is well-weighted and precise—particularly for an off-roader. That makes the Defender easy to place when driving on narrow, winding roads. This is a tall, heavy SUV, however, and the body leans in corners taken with any measure of exuberance. Alternatives such as the BMW X7 or even the Jeep Grand Cherokee are sportier.

Defender prices vary widely, with the 90 ranging from $46,100 to $80,500 (plus $1,025 destination), and the 110 a few thousand more. On top of that are a wide range of customization choices, including various sunroofs, roof racks, and wheels from 18 to 22 inches. Many luxury SUVs compete in this space, but few have the go-anywhere capability of this Land Rover and none has its storied history.