2020 Land Rover Defender

The Land Rover Defender once considered the king of offroaders is making a comeback after 20 years into the market and is set to officially go on sale in early 2020. Landrover is meaning to bridge the gap from the Classic Defender to the more modern Land Rover Product, which their customers have come to expect. As of now, the Defender doesn’t have a direct rival, articularly when its off-road capabilities are taken into consideration. However, most of their buyers won’t be doing a rally with it every day, they will be more or less city driving or casual backroads. In such a case, when it is considered as a luxury Suv, the Defender’s competition is broader and that may be a challenge. Still, the new Land Rover’s unique two-door version will make it stand out from its luxury-level competitors.

The first Defenders released into the market will be 110s, with the 90 coming six months later. At launch, there will be six models: the base Defender, S, SE, HSE, First Edition and finally the Defender X. The Standard Defender comes pretty well-equipped on its own. It has most of the safety features and is ready to go off-road right out of the showroom. Each Defender can be again separately specced with four different lifestyle packs namely Country, Adventure, Explore and Urban. The much-awaited Commercial package with the Steel wheels and blanked rear windows is yet to be announced.

Upper trims get you better features such as 19-inch wheels and leather upholstery. Starting from the SE trim, you get access to the P400 mild-hybrid powertrain, the best option for the Defender this year. Land Rover is generous enough to make a 10-inch central touchscreen standard which gets you the excellent Pivi infotainment system. The options list is encyclopedic and includes two different types of mud flap – shorties and a different length, “flappier flap”. All models (apart from the Commercial) will come on alloys, with the lovely steel wheels available as an option, in what seems like a cunning piece of reverse psychology.

What do we recommend?

The Defender HSE is the one to go for. It packs in most of the features and its extended wheelbase enables seating in more passengers and extra cargo space. Yes, it hampers the agility a bit but you would get the same off-roading fun as the 90, which is all that the Defender is about. From the accessory packs, it is best to go for the Explorer Pack that adds in a ton of exterior features and makes the Defender well capable of extreme climatic conditions.

The Defender in 2020 has been given two engine options as of now - an inline 4 and a hybrid V6 with the rumors of a V8 to be coming soon to the platform. What is surprising is that you get the option of the Hybrid V6 even in the lowest trim. The 4 banger since its a derivative from Jag punches out quite a good number, 296 hp to be precise. Sending its power to all four wheels is thru an 8 speed ZF dual-clutch automatic. For a car solely dedicated to off-roading, this SUV in its V6 with 396 hp is quite powerful, more than adequate for such a capable SUV. The Defender uses a dedicated AWD system that operates the power through a couple of independent self-locking differentials and a two-speed transfer case . This enables maximum traction in the tires and prevents them from digging into snow or sand at speed. 

For what it's worth, the Defender delivers the best power in its segment. It is quite surprising since all of its rivals have much bigger V6s tucked under their hoods. The Explorer comes in a close second with its twin-turbo V6, although it has nowhere near the off-road capabilities of the Defender. The closest to match the AWD system of the Defender is found on the renowned Jeep Grand Cherokee Trailhawk. Its Select-Terrain system also matches quite well to the Terrain Response 2 system on the Defender, though it ultimately falls short due to a slimmer range of adjustments.

Acceleration

No sane person would take their SUVs to the local drag strip unless they are driving the ridiculously powerful Jeep Grand Cherokee Trackhawk. Still, the 2020 Land Rover Defender gives you plenty of thrust to overtake morning traffic. With the P400 powertrain, the Defender reaches 60 mph from a standstill in 5.8 seconds, which is very impressive for an SUV.

The mild-hybrid system assists by compensating for the turbo lag, making sure you have plenty of torque even at low revs. The pedal is smooth to operate and the Defender feels lively even in the worst of gravel.

In spite of all its power, it is not the quickest SUV you can get at this price range. That title goes to the Ford Explorer. Once it dons the ST performance package, the V6 unleashes its true power and makes the Explorer a lot more agile. It can easily beat the Defender in a race any day of the week, provided that race never goes off the paved roads.

Braking

The 2020 Land Rover Defender weighs over 5000 lbs. Thus, it requires outstanding braking performance to remain in control at all times. Thankfully, that is just what it delivers. Equipped with massive 6-piston ventilated discs in front and 4-piston at the rear, the Defender can come to halt from 60 mph within 105 feet.

This rivals the braking performance of most sports cars. The brakes are responsive and never require much travel to operate.

The Defender has the best braking performance in its class. Even the Ford Explorer ST, that has Brembo performance brakes, can't get anywhere near the Land Rover. Both the Lexus RX and Jeep Grand Cherokee Trailhawk fare just about average for their class.

Ride and Handling

The new Defender has a very stiff all-aluminum monocoque structure—10 times stiffer than average body-on-frame off-roader, and three times stiffer than the best. The Defender's deep digital neural network allows the on-road dynamic capability Land Rover wanted while keeping the off-road capability that is core to the Defender brand. The main engineering compromise was over the amount of wheel travel. "More is better off-road, but that has a direct consequence to body roll on-road," says Cross, (heads the Development team of the Defender). The more hardcore off-roaders would probably have preferred a touch more travel to improve suspension travel in extreme off-road situations.

By modern SUV standards, the Defender feels surprisingly soft and plush, and it rolls through corners. But there's a charm to how it handles corners, not unlike that of an old-school Range Rover. On a few hot laps of the tarmac test roads at Gaydon, at one point taking the Defender through a fast, greasy sweeper at just over 100 mph, gently teasing the excellent Pirelli Scorpion Zero all-season tires to the edge of their traction, the Defender managed to be composed at all times and it has none of the lumbering three-wheeling comedy act you get when pushing a Mercedes-Benz G-Class through tight, high-traction corners.

Off-Roading capability

The Defender is all about going off-road. Borrowing the Range Rover's Wade Sensing system, the Defender can go 35 inches deep in water. The water level is constantly monitored by an array of ultrasonic sensors around the body, alerting the driver if the water level becomes too deep to traverse. The car is also equipped with and All-Terrain Progress Control system that maintains a constant speed as you focus on the path ahead. This works in tandem with the Terrain Response 2 system that adjusts the car's dynamics according to the type of terrain that lies ahead. The Defender has an approach and departure angle of 30.1 degrees and 37.7 degrees, respectively. If even these numbers seem inadequate, Land Rover offers an Off-Road Geometry package that increases them to 38 degrees and 40 degrees, respectively.

Land Rover has tested the Defender for more than 750,000 miles at temperatures ranging from -40 to +50 degrees Celsius over every type of surface you can imagine. The Defender has been through all and has emerged victorious. No matter if you want to cross shallow rivers or wage through the Sahara, the Defender can take you there without breaking any sweat.

There are no official EPA figures for the 2020 Land Rover Defender available yet. Although, we can safely assume that it will do quite good for providing a lot of miles per gallon of fuel. Its engine has smaller displacement than the other gas-guzzling V6s that are prominent in this segment. The 23.8-gallon fuel tank may seem more than sufficient, but it would be wise to carry a few jerry cans for the time you venture into the wild. Stay tuned as this section will be updated once official mpg figures are released.

Climb inside the cabin of the Defender and you get a whole lot of space for both passengers and cargo. There is nothing too luxurious, but the Defender is comparable with many other current-generation SUVs as far as the interior is concerned. In a completely opposite face of the 1997 Land Rover Defender, which felt like sitting in an M2 Bradley Infantry Fighting Vehicle,

The 2020 version offers a ton of creature comforts. The seats have plenty of room and the 3rd row can be utilized to seat in two extra passengers if required. Upper trims even offer premium leather upholstery and wooden accents for the panels.

The tri-zone climate control system keeps a consistent temperature inside the car, regardless if it scorching heat of the Sahara or the chill of Siberia on the outside. For additional comfort, you can opt for multi-level heated and ventilated seats that are standard from the SE trim and up. The build quality is great. There are negligible panel gaps and you wouldn't notice any cracks or indentations even after several days spent treading through the Grand Canyon.

Infotainment

The 2020 Defender comes with a 10-inch central touchscreen that runs the Pivi Pro infotainment system. It is smooth, intuitive, and supports multitasking. Smartphone integration through Apple CarPlay and Android Auto is available as standard. And you wouldn't need a physical map if you wander too far out from civilization. Land Rover grants the Defender a satellite-linked navigation system that is active even without the need for any internet or cell phone reception. The driver-side dash gets an additional 12.3-inch customizable digital display that shows the relevant readouts and navigation aids. Top-level trims get the option for a Heads-Up Display, so your eyes never need to look away from the beautiful scenery that lies ahead.

If you're into listening to your favorite tunes while forging through knee-deep snow, the Defender has you covered. Meridian grants three options for the audio system for the 2020 Land Rover Defender. The 6-speaker sound system is quite basic and just enough to get by. The upgraded 10-speaker 400W audio system is the one that most would prefer. It has a single subwoofer and supports active noise cancellation. For true music fanatics, Meridian offers a 14-speaker premium audio system. This one gets a 700W amplifier and Trifield Surround Sound technology, allowing you the perfect listening experience regardless of the genre you prefer.

Some additional infotainment features include:

• Pivi Pro infotainment system
• 2 USB Ports
• Universal Remote Transmitter
• SiriusXM Satellite Radio
• External Temperature Display
• Air Quality Sensor

Cargo

The Land Rover Defender is a vehicle you would take on an adventure for weeks, maybe months, on end. Therefore, it is nice that it enables you to carry a lot of stuff. The Defender 110 offers 34.6 cubic feet of cargo space up to the 2nd row, which is quite good for its class. Though the rivals may offer more space, the Defender has quite a few tricks up its sleeve.

The storage is not only limited to the inside. A roof rack attachment can carry more than 660 lbs of luggage and there are additional hooks for hanging fuel cans. The cabin has a few surprises, too, with an armrest that can double up as a backpack and a dedicated insulated storage compartment in the console for electronics.

Even with its small engine, the Defender has a class-leading towing capacity, surpassing the Jeep Grand Cherokee Trailhawk by nearly 2000 lbs. It is easy to hitch a trailer as well since the tow hook is electronically adjustable. The Defender also features a detachable multi-height tow bar that doesn't ruin the car's exterior design when deployed or stocked.

Long-time Defender fans would be disappointed with what Land Rover did to one of the most beloved off-roaders in the world. While the previous iterations looked bold and strong, the 2020 Defender is a more stylish and composed SUV. There are obvious inspirational cues from the Jaguar F-Pace and the new Discovery Sport. While it may certainly sit well with a modern audience, the more elegant lines take away from the essence of what made the Defender iconic in the first place.

Still, the 2020 Land Rover Defender is one tough cookie. The body is protected by skid plates and reinforced steel bumpers. This takes off the worry that you'll break something the next time you go trailing into the Rockies. A 1.7-gallon water reservoir with a spryer hose enables you to wash out the dirt and mud off the car. Going camping? You can deploy a waterproof awning to the rear or side of the Defender to create a makeshift camping space. The roof can be equipped with a roof rack, insulated tent, bike stand, or a ski-snowboard carrier, depending on what you fancy on your voyage. 

The Defender’s optional winch, hidden behind the front grille, can handle a maximum weight of 4,536kg and pull from a distance of 45 metres. Each of the snatch points on the car are capable of handling six tonnes of force – something you can exert through the optional Musto belt, which can handle the same load. But given the lengths of engineering the team at Land Rover went to in development, getting stuck doesn’t seem like something you’ll be doing very often…

Does the size pose a problem?

The 2020 Land Rover Defender is a huge vehicle. Even though its mild-hybrid drivetrain has a faint sound, it is hard to miss the Defender going across a street just because of its sheer size. It is one of the heaviest, widest, and the most high-headed SUVs out there. The Defender 110 stands nearly 78 inches high, even more so with the air suspension raised. It is more than likely that most owners would opt for the deployable side steps since getting inside such a tall vehicle poses a challenge of itself. At least you won't have to worry about parking. You can easily occupy any parchment of land off the road with the Defender, just make sure it is not private property.

While not many SUVs can compare to the Land Rover Defender for its size, the Ford Explorer is the one that is longer. It may not have the off-road capabilities of the Defender, but the extra length grants the Explorer more passenger and cargo space. The Defender makes the legendary Trailhawk look tiny by comparison, whereas the Lexus RX seems even smaller.

The 2020 Land Rover Defender has not been crash-tested by the NHTSA or the IIHS. Regardless, the modified D7 aluminum chassis is claimed by the chief designer Gerry McGovern to be one of the strongest ever seen on a Land Rover. Using a monocoque body-on-frame design, the new chassis possesses 3 times the torsional rigidity of the D7 used on the Range Rover Evoque. Considering that the Evoque received a near-perfect score from global NCAP crash tests, it might give you a pretty good idea of how safe the Defender is.

And that is before counting in the plethora of advanced safety features you get. While the basics like Automated Emergency Braking and Blind Spot Monitoring are standard, shoppers can opt for the Drive Assist Package that equips Lane Keep Assist, Adaptive Cruise Control, and Rear Collision Warning. Moreover, LED lights can be placed all around the exterior of the car to keenly monitor the surroundings. A 3D surround-view camera gives you an unobstructed image of the Defender along with its surroundings.

Safety Features

• Electronic Stability Control(ESC) with Roll Stability Control
• ABS And Driveline Traction Control
• Side Impact beams
• Dual-Stage Driver And Passenger Seat-Mounted Airbags
• Front Collision Warning with Automated Emergency Braking
• Blind Spot Monitoring with Cross-Traffic Alert And Trailer Detection
• Lane Departure Warning with Lane Keep Assist
• Front And Rear Parking Sensors
• Tire Specific Low Tire Pressure Warning
• Adaptive Cruise Control
• Dual-stage Driver and Passenger Front Airbags
• Airbag Occupancy Sensor
• Curtain 1st And 2nd Row Airbags
• First Aid Kit
• Rear Child Safety Locks
• Outboard Front Lap And Shoulder Safety Belts
• 3D Surround-View Camera

Land Rover Defender vs Jeep Grand Cherokee Trailhawk

Not many SUVs can challenge the Grand Cherokee Trailhawk for its rugged go-anywhere attitude. The Trailhawk is like that cool guy at the saloon who talks about his adventures. Then enters the Land Rover Defender like John Wesley Hardin and immediately sends out a cold chill in the atmosphere. The Defender dominates over the Trailhawk in nearly all aspects. Even though the Jeep has a bigger engine, the Defender has better power figures. The Defender 110 variant can seat up to seven passengers while the Jeep Grand Cherokee Trailhawk has to make do with five. The only reason you may consider the Trailhawk over the Defender is for its lower price tag.

Land Rover Defender vs Lexus RX

Both the Land Rover Defender and Lexus RX offer a hybrid powertrain. The difference is that the RX can go a few miles on purely electric power. For the Defender, the electrical motor is a supplement to compensate for turbo lag and provide additional torque at low revs. The Lexus RX 350 F-Sport has more in common with a crossover hybrid and is therefore suited better for the urban environment. It is quiet, comfortable, and tamed. The Land Rover Defender, on the other hand, is made for pure off-roading fun.

Land Rover Defender vs Ford Explorer

It is almost ironic that an SUV called the 'Explorer' is so much more a tarmac-friendly than the Defender. Ford offers an optional ST Performance pack for the Explorer that enhances its agility even further. The Explorer has more space both for passengers and cargo than the Defender. In addition to an improved infotainment system, the interior is much more luxurious than what you would expect from an SUV. However, remove the paved roads and the Defender is the clear winner.

The spirit of the old Land Rover Defender lives quite happily inside its 21st Century shell. Of course, some would be off-put by the looks, but as an all-in-one off-road package, it is one of the most groundbreaking vehicles in the US. This is an SUV built for true adventurers. Those who love putting themselves and their automobile to the test against the might of Mother Nature will surely embrace the Land Rover Defender wholeheartedly.