There’s no hiding the fact the new Defender has had a fight on its hands right from the off, having to overcome a barrage of opinion – both negative and positive – before anyone had even driven it.
You really have to feel for the team of designers, engineers, marketeers and everyone else responsible for the new Land Rover Defender 90, as between them they’ve created a highly desirable, hugely capable, contemporary SUV. However, the keyboard warriors are angry, feeling it’s too far from the rough ‘n’ ready brief of the iconic original.
The truth is, the world has moved on since the first Land Rover went on sale in 1948, and as charming as the old Defender range was, it was completely out of sync with its times when production finally ended in January 2016. It was time for a change – time an icon was reimagined for the 21st century.
A distinctive silhouette makes the new Defender instantly recognisable, with minimal front and rear overhangs providing excellent approach and departure angles. Land Rover’s designers re-envisioned familiar Defender trademarks for the 21st century, giving the 4×4 a purposeful upright stance and Alpine light windows in the roof, while retaining the side-hinged rear tailgate and externally-mounted spare wheel that make the original so identifiable.
As with its forebear of the same name, the 90 is a shorter version of the Defender 110 – 435mm shorter in the wheelbase to be precise. With its overall length and three-door bodywork, the 90’s understandably less practical, with priority given to rear-seat passenger space over boot volume, making it much more of a lifestyle choice than its larger twin.
That said, the Defender 90 is exceptional off-road, with its shorter wheelbase making it more agile when tackling tight and twisty trails compared with the 110, but more of that later in the review.
What’s it like inside?
The Defender has two rows of seats, but speccing the front central jump seat makes it a 5+1 seater and turns you into the most popular parent in the world. Apart from the space in the back, the cabin design is the same as the 110, with plenty of cubbies and shelves for storage, and many of the buttons and controls shared with other Jaguar Land Rover products.
The new Defender is as technologically advanced as it is durable and is one of the first models Land Rover has fitted with its Pivi Pro infotainment system, available with a choice of ten-inch and curved glass 11.4-inch touchscreen displays, the latter an optional extra. The intuitive and user-friendly system requires fewer inputs to perform frequently used tasks, while the always-on design guarantees almost instant responses. Add to that over-the-air updates, meaning there’s no need to visit a dealer to get them done.
Land Rover’s new Electrical Vehicle Architecture, state-of-the-art forward-facing digital camera, advanced ultrasonic sensors and powerful 3Gbit/s onboard network support a comprehensive suite of driver assistance technologies, with the cameras and sensors governed by a single integrated processor, or domain controller, for optimised security.
These include a 3D Surround Camera that goes above and beyond, providing both 360-degree plan and new 3D exterior perspective views of the surrounding area, both off and on-road. The advanced system provides enhanced augmented on-screen visualisation when using Tow Sensing, Wade Sensing and Land Rover’s ClearSight Ground View transparent bonnet technology, to improve visibility.
To maintain rearward visibility, all Defenders fitted with the front jump seat also feature ClearSight Rear View technology. At the touch of a button, the frameless interior mirror switches from a conventional mirror to a digital screen showing a feed provided by a high-definition rear-facing camera mounted high at the back of the vehicle.
The clever technology effectively makes the rear pillars and spare wheel – and any objects inside the vehicle – invisible, while also providing a 50-degree wider field of vision to eliminate rear blindspots. The 1.7-megapixel camera also provides superior clarity in low light conditions and has a hydrophobic coating to maintain performance in wet and muddy conditions.
What’s it like to drive?
The new Defender is available with a wide range of powertrains, including Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicle (PHEV) and Mild Hybrid Electric Vehicle (MHEV) technologies, and a range of advanced and efficient Ingenium petrol and diesel engines, including four, six and eight-cylinder configurations.
All engines drive through a smooth and responsive eight-speed ZF automatic gearbox and twin-speed transmission, to provide a set of low-range ratios essential for towing or off-road driving when more control is required.
Configurable Terrain Response allows experienced off-roaders to fine-tune individual vehicle settings to perfectly suit the conditions, while inexperienced drivers can let the system detect the most appropriate vehicle settings for the terrain, using the intelligent Auto function.
The P300 model tested features a 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder 300PS unit, using an advanced twin-scroll turbo for smooth performance and efficiency, accelerating from 0-60mph in 6.7 seconds with CO2emissions as low as 263g/km.
What’s the verdict?
In truth, very few buyers will make full use of all the Defender’s capabilities. In the meantime though, as a family car it passes with flying colours, offering space, tech and cool appeal to work on so many levels. Land Rover has silenced the doubters and produced a Defender worthy of the famous name.
By Adam Gray, Motoring Editor
