The Land Rover Defender SUV is back! In the United States that is.
After a 22-year absence, the iconic 4×4 is available on this side of the pond for the first time since 1997. But this is not the standard, stripped-down utilitarian, toolbox on wheels that has conquered the wilds of Africa and Australia. This is an entirely new vehicle, one designed to appeal to those who demand luxury, comfort and technology, as well as the off-road capability that makes Land Rover legendary the world over. The 2020 Land Rover Defender SUV meets that market in spades.
I fell in love with the Land Rover Defender the first time I rode in one. My Professional Hunter in South Africa had one and everything about the vehicle screamed “safari.” The vehicle, with its minimalist styling and workhorse bravado, was the very epitome of adventure. That beast of a vehicle drove over and through everything my PH put it through. He drove it through brush, over rocks, used it to carve a trail through tangled foliage and to haul everything from stores of food and camping equipment to dead animals weighing upwards of 2,000 pounds.
The 2020 Land Rover Defender SUVs can, apparently, do all this and more.
Despite being far more aerodynamic than its predecessors, the 2020 Land Rover Defender SUV still carries a box-like appearance that contains massive integrity. Its monocoque architecture delivers triple the torsional rigidity of a body-on-frame design that delivers lightweight strength and durability. This design is welcome news for long-time Defender fans who saw the vehicle previously exit the states due to a lack of compliant safety standards.
The interior is sparse but durable and highly functional. Fabrics are canvas-inspired and the available leather seats are combined with Kvadrat Steelcut Premium wool textile for extra durability. Consoles are available in a number of wood veneers and the Defender Durable Rubber Flooring take a beating and are cleaned easily.
The new Defender will also be the first vehicle from Land Rover to feature PIVI Pro. This “infotainment system” consists of a 10-inch touchscreen, is Apple CarPlay and Android Auto compatible, features a Generation 2 head-up display designed to assist in reducing driver distraction and provides over-the-air software updates.
True to the Defender’s legendary off-road capabilities, the 2020 features a two-speed transfer case, locking center differential, active locking rear differential and Land Rover’s Terrain Response 2 system. The Defender can wade into 35.4 inches of water and comes with a WadeSensing system that raises the vehicle’s ride height. The vehicle also features the ClearSight Ground View system that projects an image of the trail or road ahead on the central touchscreen.
Land Rover is releasing the four door Defender 110 first with the two door Defender 90 following soon after. Both models are available in standard, First Edition and X models, with standard, S, SE and HSE specification packs. Explorer, Adventure, Country and Urban packs are also be available. Two engines are available: a turbocharged 4-cylinder and a 6-cylinder mild-hybrid engine. Prices start at just under $50,000.
Author Gayne C. Young has contributed to Sporting Classics for more than 20 years. He is the author of And Monkeys Threw Crap At Me: Adventures in Hunting, Fishing, and Writing, Texas Safari: The Game Hunters Guide To Texas, Sumatra, The Tunnel, Bug Hunt, Teddy Roosevelt: Sasquatch Hunter, Vikings: The Bigfoot Saga, and more. In January 2011, Gayne C. Young became the first American outdoor writer to interview Russian Prime Minister, and former Russian President, Vladimir Putin. Visit Gayne at his Amazon page.
