Land Rover Defender 110 (L633)

Land Rover Defender 110 2.0 P300 S (L633)

• Horsepower: 296

• Torque: 400 NM

• Acceleration: 0 to 60 mph in 7.0 seconds

• Overall Length: 5,017 mm (with the spare wheel)

• Overall Width: 2,105 mm 

• Exterior Color: Metallic Eiger Grey

• Interior Color: Black

• Price: Starts from $60,800 

• Test Car Price: $67,375 

The Land Rover Defender is a true legend. Since its first introduction in 1983, Defender has been the symbol of terrain. The original Defender had great off-road capability but was not so good on tarmac. The new generation Defender has a very iconic design, with many references to the original Defender. The New Defender is still a very good off-road vehicle; however, now it does this by blending luxury and . It is now also a comfortable car to drive in the city and highways. 

The Land Rover Defender is one of the best cars for sale in the market for off-roading. Unfortunately, I didn’t had the chance to do any off-roading with it. However, the Defender is considered as one of the best SUVs for off-road, alongside the Mercedes-Benz G-Wagon, Jeep Wrangler, Toyota Land Cruiser, and Ford Bronco, by the most esteemed automotive journalists. Even when the car is driven on tarmac, the car reminds the driver and passengers that they are in an off-road vehicle by details such as large handles, lots of large storage compartments, safari windows and a full size spare wheel on the back. 

The biggest difference between the old Defender and the new Defender is the comfort and luxury. The old car had a very basic interior, no luxury and close to zero comfort. However, the new one got a share from Land Rover’s longtime legacy of building luxury offroaders. Although it is not as comfortable and luxurious as other Land Rover vehicles such as the Range Rover series, it is still a huge improvement over the old one. It has a simple but nice interior. There is an infotainment screen in the middle. It is average sized and fairly easy to use. The rest of the interior is also minimalistic but everything feels solid, well built and ready to face harsh conditions. The interior trims are a unique material that I did not see in any other vehicle. It is called Robustec Woven Textile and it is a material in between leather and cloth. The main feature of Robustec Woven Textile is that it doesn’t get dirty easily and it is very durable. This is very good for situations where the interior of the car can get dirty and muddy quickly in off-road conditions.

The seats of the Defender are very comfortable. They are fully leather and the front seats have heating. With additional options, the front seats can be ventilated and rear seats can be heated too. The test car is specced in the lowest possible trim and interestingly the seats were not fully electric. Only the reclining of the front seats were electronic, which was a surprise for me. I was not expecting to see half electric half mechanic seats in a modern Land Rover, even in the lowest trim. 

The back seats of the Land Rover Defender 110 are very spacious and can fit 3 adults. The Defender has also a 3rd row seating available. The longer chassis version Land

Rover Defender 130 is even more roomy in the back. 

The new Land Rover Defender is a much better car than its predecessor to drive on roads. The test car has the optional air suspension and the ride is very comfy and soft, although not as much as the other Land Rover models. At highway speeds, the ride comfort slightly decreases because of the wind noise. Due to its cubic shape, the Defender is not very aerodynamic and after a certain speed, the wind noise increases significantly. The biggest drawback of the ride is when turning corners. The car is very tall and the suspensions are not adjusted for sporty driving. Therefore, even when cornering at low speeds, the body roll can be felt and can make the passengers nervous. It is helpful to always remember that the car was essentially designed for off-roading when driving the Defender. 

Power is an important factor in off-road vehicles. The 2.0 liter petrol engine on the test car was mediocre. It has close to 300 horsepower, which seems enough on paper, but it feels underpowered when driving. The official 0 to 60 acceleration time of the car is around 7 seconds according to Land Rover, however, it does not feel like 7 second car while driving. Of course, performance and speed is not what this car is built for but I suppose this engine would also be unsatisfactory on difficult off-road conditions. If I were to buy this car, I would definitely go for at least the 3.0 liter petrol engine for more power or the 2.0 liter diesel engine for more torque. (The diesel engine is not available for most markets.) There is also a 5.0 liter V8 engine option, which I imagine would be crazy! 

The Land Rover Defender is an icon for off-roading and the new generation is no different. It has incredible off-road capabilities combined with the Land Rover’s legacy of luxury. It is comfortable on and off the road and while doing so, does not renounce luxury. With its unique retro design, the Land Rover Defender is a great choice for people who are looking for a different SUV in order to stand out from the crowd.