I expected a lumbering truck with the handling of a bulldozer. What I got for my test was a surprisingly responsive, mud-and-rut capable, $100,850 (base) Land Rover Defender First Edition in gorgeous Sedona Red.
Lovely Interior.
The Defender is a hulking beast, yet it boasts the refined dynamics of an SUV (sport-utility vehicle) half its size. Credit the standard air suspension and some obviously smart body and suspension engineering. All this is no small matter.
The Defender seats eight. EIGHT. And weighs a staggering 2,500 kg or 5,500 pounds. No wonder Land Rover makes an ambulance version.
And yet…
And yet this monster can leap from 0-100 km/hour in 6.6 seconds. Yikes. How’s that? Look at the size of this thing!
Like all Defenders introduced since the big remake a couple of years back, my top-line Defender 130 tester came with a modern 3.0-litre inline-six-cylinder engine. Horsepower: 395. Torque: 406 pound-feet. And there is 48-volt mild hybrid system. It gives the Def an almost instant jolt of go-power, without the need for a fuel-swilling V-8 – though one is available in some markets.
A ZF eight-speed automatic transmission is standard and it’s a gem. Smooth and quiet and smart. The AWD Land Rover’s Terrain Response system allows you to dial up various powertrain and standard suspension responses to get through and across any surface imaginable.
It’s also bursting with technology to tame your drive and assist pilots who might otherwise be overwhelmed by the sheer bulk on offer.
The kit in my tester included an electronic active differential with brake-based torque vectoring to help you manage tight corners at higher speeds in a rig that is just shy of six-foot-six tall, or 197 cm. Length: almost 18 feet or 5,358 mm. With the spare at the rear poking out, just say 18 feet long and be done with it.
Distinctive
Nonetheless, I was completely shocked by the user-friendliness here. Sure, the Defender is a load, but it does not feel like a heavy load. It feels refined and balanced, predictable and manageable. Sure, it’s a bit much as a grocery-getter, but it’s not frightening, unless you’re ducking into an underground parkade, worried about chopping off the lid. And if you’re crossing the Serengeti to get your supplies, well the off-road abilities are legendary.
Let me just pull back for second and talk about pricing. The Defender starts at $93,000. I specced out a possible-purchase Defender with a bunch of stuff I might want and the tally came to $116,000. You can spend more, too.
As for the gizmos and what nots, the infotainment screen is undersized, but not terribly so. And the software is just so, so easy to manage. Intuitive.
There is a ballroom of space inside, of course. That third row, in fact, is functional, spacious enough for adults. The tricky bit is that to provide that space, there is a 149-centimetre rear overhang. For you bushwhackers, this impacts off-roading: the departure angle is 27.8 degrees, versus the smaller Defender 110’s 40 degrees. Who cares?
I mean, ground clearance is 29 centimetres. The suspension articulates up to 43 cm which is a big deal, though I doubt you know what it means. You can cross a stream – river? – up to 90 cm deep, too.
Big cabin with delightful details.
By now, you’re thinking this monster must cost a fortune to keep running. Not as much as you might think. You can expect to get something like 12-13 litres per 100 km. Not bad, all things considered.
If there is one thing I hate, it’s rearward visibility. Six headrests and a spare tire hanging on the rear door impeded my view from the driver’s seat. Ugh.
Finally, a few thoughts about the styling. The exterior looks just like a 21st century interpretation of an old Defender. Just smoother and nicer.
Inside, exposed rivets, body-colour accents, and ambient lighting dress up a cabin filled with expensive-looking materials. The seats are superb and those in the second row have more legroom than they need.
Drop all the seats, and you have room for a couple of stretchers, ambulance-like. A button in the cargo area lowers the suspension in the rear. For loading stuff, even bodies.
There is lots of storage, a convenient wireless phone charger and the wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto built into Land Rover’s Pivi Pro infotainment system is excellent. As I said, the 11.4-inch screen is smallish, but the 4:3 shape is sensible.
What’s wrong?
The undersized screen, and the layout of the controls, make it easy to hit the wrong button. Not good.
Go anywhere abilities.
But almost all of the rest of it is very good. Naturally, I worry a little about Land Rover’s sketchy quality record. That aside, this is without a doubt the very best three-row SUV I’ve tested in years and years. And because the base version is so well equipped, I’d skip all the extras.
At $93,000, it’s a very good buy.
I expected a lumbering truck with the handling of a bulldozer. What I got for my test was a surprisingly responsive, mud-and-rut capable, $100,850 (base) Land Rover Defender First Edition in gorgeous Sedona Red.
Lovely Interior.
The Defender is a hulking beast, yet it boasts the refined dynamics of an SUV (sport-utility vehicle) half its size. Credit the standard air suspension and some obviously smart body and suspension engineering. All this is no small matter.
The Defender seats eight. EIGHT. And weighs a staggering 2,500 kg or 5,500 pounds. No wonder Land Rover makes an ambulance version.
And yet…
And yet this monster can leap from 0-100 km/hour in 6.6 seconds. Yikes. How’s that? Look at the size of this thing!
Like all Defenders introduced since the big remake a couple of years back, my top-line Defender 130 tester came with a modern 3.0-litre inline-six-cylinder engine. Horsepower: 395. Torque: 406 pound-feet. And there is 48-volt mild hybrid system. It gives the Def an almost instant jolt of go-power, without the need for a fuel-swilling V-8 – though one is available in some markets.
A ZF eight-speed automatic transmission is standard and it’s a gem. Smooth and quiet and smart. The AWD Land Rover’s Terrain Response system allows you to dial up various powertrain and standard suspension responses to get through and across any surface imaginable.
It’s also bursting with technology to tame your drive and assist pilots who might otherwise be overwhelmed by the sheer bulk on offer.
The kit in my tester included an electronic active differential with brake-based torque vectoring to help you manage tight corners at higher speeds in a rig that is just shy of six-foot-six tall, or 197 cm. Length: almost 18 feet or 5,358 mm. With the spare at the rear poking out, just say 18 feet long and be done with it.
Distinctive
Nonetheless, I was completely shocked by the user-friendliness here. Sure, the Defender is a load, but it does not feel like a heavy load. It feels refined and balanced, predictable and manageable. Sure, it’s a bit much as a grocery-getter, but it’s not frightening, unless you’re ducking into an underground parkade, worried about chopping off the lid. And if you’re crossing the Serengeti to get your supplies, well the off-road abilities are legendary.
Let me just pull back for second and talk about pricing. The Defender starts at $93,000. I specced out a possible-purchase Defender with a bunch of stuff I might want and the tally came to $116,000. You can spend more, too.
As for the gizmos and what nots, the infotainment screen is undersized, but not terribly so. And the software is just so, so easy to manage. Intuitive.
There is a ballroom of space inside, of course. That third row, in fact, is functional, spacious enough for adults. The tricky bit is that to provide that space, there is a 149-centimetre rear overhang. For you bushwhackers, this impacts off-roading: the departure angle is 27.8 degrees, versus the smaller Defender 110’s 40 degrees. Who cares?
I mean, ground clearance is 29 centimetres. The suspension articulates up to 43 cm which is a big deal, though I doubt you know what it means. You can cross a stream – river? – up to 90 cm deep, too.
Big cabin with delightful details.
If there is one thing I hate, it’s rearward visibility. Six headrests and a spare tire hanging on the rear door impeded my view from the driver’s seat. Ugh.
Finally, a few thoughts about the styling. The exterior looks just like a 21st century interpretation of an old Defender. Just smoother and nicer.
Inside, exposed rivets, body-colour accents, and ambient lighting dress up a cabin filled with expensive-looking materials. The seats are superb and those in the second row have more legroom than they need.
Drop all the seats, and you have room for a couple of stretchers, ambulance-like. A button in the cargo area lowers the suspension in the rear. For loading stuff, even bodies.
There is lots of storage, a convenient wireless phone charger and the wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto built into Land Rover’s Pivi Pro infotainment system is excellent. As I said, the 11.4-inch screen is smallish, but the 4:3 shape is sensible.
What’s wrong?
The undersized screen, and the layout of the controls, make it easy to hit the wrong button. Not good.
Go anywhere abilities.
But almost all of the rest of it is very good. Naturally, I worry a little about Land Rover’s sketchy quality record. That aside, this is without a doubt the very best three-row SUV I’ve tested in years and years. And because the base version is so well equipped, I’d skip all the extras.
At $93,000, it’s a very good buy.
About the Author / Jeremy Cato
Related Posts
FREE eBook: Swimming with the Showroom Sharks
Jeremy Cato, three time Automotive Journalist of the Year, gives you insider's insights on how to save $5,000 or MORE on your next new vehicle.
@catocarguy