The 2020 Land Rover Defender is the rebirth of an icon and it retains all the good bits of its predecessor but is every bit modern and a better off-roader than ever before.
Perhaps one of the most anticipated unveils from the 2019 Frankfurt Motor Show, the iconic 2020 Land Rover Defender is finally here. After numerous sightings, spy shots, and 1.2 million km of testing around the globe, you can finally lay your eyes on what is the most iconic nameplate in Land Rover’s history.
So how does it look on first sight? Well, it beautifully retains the old world charm in the form of its boxy profile but hey, look at the details and its every bit modern. The overall boxy profile is then rounded off with smooth curves and lines which gives it quite some sophistication. The butch looking hood, wide wheel arches, and the Alpine windows have all been retained from its predecessor. The tail section will certainly divide opinion but we think it looks really cool with those tail lamps and the upright stance.
It was always going to be a huge task for Land Rover to revive the icon that the Defender is for the 21st century. You can trace elements from the predecessor in those round LED DRLs within those square headlamp housing. The wing mirrors are also square. It will come in two body styles – the Defender 90 with 5/6 seats and the Defender 110 with 5/6/5+2 seats. The former is a three-door variant while the latter is a proper five-door full size SUV. If you are wondering about the count of 6 seats, well, that’s courtesy of an optional middle fold-up front seat. More body styles will soon follow.
On the inside, its a whole new story here as well. The dashboard is properly modern and contemporary but retains the Defender’s boxy and rugged design language. The exposed bolts on the interior are a particular nice touch. There’s a 10-inch infotainment display with an all digital 12-inch instrument cluster and it now comes with JLR’s latest software which is much more user friendly than before.
Thankfully, there are physical buttons for the climate controls and other vehicle settings, well put together on a small stack ahead of the infotainment screen along with the gear lever. The way the AC vents have been integrated above the dashboard is also a very nice design element.
So what’s under the hood you ask? The 2020 Land Rover Defender will have the option of four engine options. There’s a 2.0-litre inline-four turbocharged diesel engine in two states of tune – D200 with 200 PS and 430 Nm of torque and D240 with 240 PS and 430 Nm of torque. Further, there’s a 2.0-litre 4-cylinder turbocharged petrol engine with 300PS and 400Nm of torque and lastly, there’s the top-spec 3.0-litre 6-cylinder turbocharged petrol engine with mild-hybrid technology that puts out 400 PS and 550 Nm of torque.
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A plug-in hybrid variant will also follow soon. As for some numbers essential to off-roading, the Land Rover Defender now gets a ground clearance of 291mm while the approach, breakover and departure angles stands at 38, 28 and 40 degrees. Even more impressive is the 900mm water-wading depth.
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Sale of the 2020 Land Rover Defender will start with the 110 variant. The Defender 90 variant will follow soon. There will also be more variants of the Defender for commercial purposes in the near future. The Defender has already been listed on the Land Rover India’s website and we expect it to be showcased at the upcoming Auto expo with a launch soon after that.
