Land Rover Defender

Land Rover Defender – Overview

Land Rover Defender – Exterior

Underneath the stylish boxy exterior is an all-new monocoque bodyshell. Land Rover says it is three times stronger than the traditional body-on-frame construction of the past as well as lightweight thanks to high amounts of aluminium material.
One feature that is unique to just the Land Rover Defender is the pair of window slits on the back half of the edges of the roof. The items, called Alpine Light Windows, provide additional lighting into the cabin as well as a nice design touch.

Plenty of faux grilles and vents are placed on the front to replicate off-roading toughness and lineage towards the Defender name. Overall, the boxy shape, upright windscreen and vertical tail is somewhat a breath of fresh air into the current premium design landscape that is predictable and almost generic.

The slim-opening grille is flanked by Matrix LED headlamps with signature DRL lighting. Wheel size is 20-inch with a full-sized spare tyre continuing to be mounted on the tailgate for aesthetic reasons, rather than convenience as users in urban areas are unlikely to be able to replace the heavy wheel on their own.

The tail lamps are also designed as individual lighting units rather than one large signature to recreate the circular pieces of the icon. There are plenty of accessories to complement the new Land Rover Defender, such as deployable side steps, roof racks, roof ladder, spare wheel covers, storage boxes and even a raised air intake snorkel.

Land Rover Defender – Interior

Dashboard

The shift lever, air-conditioning controls and the Terrain Response switch are all housed on a console just below the central display on the dashboard. The lower console has also been used as a design communicator in the new Land Rover Defender. It features rugged fastening “bolts” on the sides, a similar theme and pattern seen on the door panels too.

Instrument cluster

Space and practicality

The Land Rover Defender takes storage and practicality two notches up in the premium SUV segment. As all switches and shift levers have been moved upwards onto the dashboard, the lower console is a large storage area.
The lower console can even be fitted with a refrigerated storage box or left on its own, it’s a basic cupholder with a two-tier arrangement.

12-volt power sockets and USB chargers are available for both front and rear passengers. With a wide exterior, the interior feels immense too, with large front seats as well as rear seats. In the 5-seater configuration, luggage space is listed as 857 litres, while the 5 plus 2, with the third row folded down, has 743 litres of space.

Land Rover Defender – Features

Safety features

There are 6 airbags in the new Land Rover Defender. Advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) are a cost option, with adaptive cruise control, active lane-keeping, and blind-spot monitoring are a-la-carte items in the personalization menu of the iconic SUV.

360-degree birds eye view 3D Surround camera is regularly fitted as standard by Land Rover Malaysia though, and a novel system called Clearsight Ground View provides incredible “under bonnet” visibility while traversing in off-road paths and obstacles. Clever!

The rearview mirror has also been upgraded to a digital unit called ClearSight Rear View Mirror, displaying an unobstructed image of the rear of the vehicle. The large front seats in the Land RoverDefender come with plenty of adjustments, cooling, plus a four-way lumbar with memory function. 

Four-zone automatic air-conditioning with multiple rear cooling vents is a standard fitment. The occupants also sit higher in the new Land Rover Defender, and looking out of the vehicle is greatly aided by large windows. Occupants on the third row also have air-conditioning vents directed at them as well as independent fan speed control.

Upholstery materials are meanwhile against the norm, being targeted as the ultimate recreational vehicle. Apart from tough fabric and leather, there is also the option for hard-wearing materials. The large central display called Pivi Pro measures 10.0 inches and functions as the control for the vehicle settings plus information on the 4x4i system. 

Smartphone connectivity is standard and there is even communication via apps.A Meridian premium sound system plays high-quality output over 10 speakers and an amplifier with 400-Watt power. There is also a wireless smartphone charger just below the large centre armrest.

Land Rover Defender – Powertrain

Engine

All engines in the Land Rover Defender are now from the Ingenium range. The base Defender model features the P300 designation with a turbocharged 2.0-litre in-line four engine that packs a maximum of 300 PS/400 Nm of torque, while the P400 is a 3.0-litre six-cylinder engine with 400 PS/550 Nm of torque and mild hybrid assistance.

For those who need the extra grunt, a new 5.0-litre V8 engine with supercharger is available, delivering 525 PS and 625 Nm of torque. All variants of the Land Rover Defender only come with the 8-speed automatic transmission. Shift paddles are not placed on the steering wheel as they hamper the progress of driving on off-road terrains.

The front and rear independent suspension are laid out using a multi-link arrangement with plenty of aluminium members. The shock absorbers are electronic adaptive air suspension units and are standard in the Land Rover Defender. The system allows as much as 75 mm raising or 40 mm lowering plus a self-levelling function when on the move. At the luggage area, users can lower the suspension height to ease the loading of goods

For models with Terrain Response 2, the clever electronics and sensors automatically select the most appropriate setting. Under the ‘Configurable Terrain Response’ feature, the driver can customize the powertrain, steering, differentials and traction control settings to meet his or her specific needs. An electronic active differential can also be specified for situations where traction is a premium.

Land Rover Defender – Driving Performance

Steering and handling

Land Rover Defender – Ride Comfort

Land Rover Defender – Fuel Economy

Land Rover Defender – Conclusion

The interior is incredibly spacious and plenty of storage areas paired with an easy to use central display. Off-road capability takes centre stage in the Defender, thus straight-line get-up-and-go performance is behind its rivals.
Nonetheless, on the highway, the Defender is quiet and comfortable. Fuel consumption is high though, even with the mild-hybrid assistance.