Land Rover Defender review

Reinventing an automotive icon like the Land Rover Defender isn’t easy. It involves taking special care to pay respect to the original, without producing something overly clichéd, or even worse, parodied. 

It’s something that Land Rover thought long and hard about before reviving the Defender name tag. How do you create a product that proudly, rather than cynically, follows up on an icon long beloved by everyone from mountain rescue teams to urban hipsters? Well, according to Land Rover, the right approach is to “leave no room for criticism” – to make it more practical, more refined and more capable off road than the car it replaces.

With off-road prowess in mind, the Defender is closely related to the current Land Rover Discovery. To help it tread even farther into the hinterland, though, it has greater ground clearance and reinforced suspension, while various components – including the battery and spare wheel – have been positioned prudently to give it better approach and departure angles, allowing it to tackle the steepest slopes.

It comes in a choice of two body styles: a shorter '90' with three doors, and a longer '110' five-door model, which is available with five, six or seven seats. And it's partly because of the sheer diversity of the Defender range that it finds itself competing with such a broad spread of rivals.

The Defender 90 competes against SUVs including the Audi Q5 and BMW X3, as well as more rugged alternatives, such as the Toyota Land Cruiser. In 110 form, particularly in the higher trim levels, the Defender treads into Audi Q7 and Volvo XC90 territory, while those in search of serious off-road prowess will want to consider the Jeep Wrangler and Mercedes G-Class.

Over the next few pages, we’ll tell you whether the new Land Rover Defender lives up to its iconic nameplate and how it compares with its many, varied rivals. And when you're done researching, don't forget to check out our New Car Buying service for a great, hassle-free deal on a huge range of cars, including the Defender.