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, a parody. 

It's something Land Rover thought long and hard about before reviving the Defender name tag. After all, 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, Land Rover decided the right approach was to leave no room for criticism, so it made it more practical, more refined and more capable off road than the original.

With off-road prowess in mind, the Defender is closely related to the current Land Rover Discovery. To help it go 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 angles of approach and departure, allowing it to tackle the steepest slopes.

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

The Defender 90 is a rival to 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, this Land Rover Defender review will tell you whether the current model lives up to the reputation of the iconic original and how it compares with its many, varied rivals.

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