The all-new Land Rover Defender was revealed earlier this month at the Frankfurt Motor Show with the Defender 110 due in Australia in June 2020 with prices expected to run from $70,000+ORCs.
Following a year-long teaser campaign, development going back years and then a last-minute leak by a South African 4×4 publication, the all-new Land Rover Defender has finally been revealed at the Frankfurt Motor Show. The new Defender will arrive in Australia next June with the Defender 110 variant leading the charge from around $70,000+ORCs, followed later in 2020 by the Defender 90.
There are a variety of models, from the Defender 90 and 110 to the dual-cab Defender 130 and even commercial vehicle variants. Seating, depending on the variant, ranges from five- to six and five-plus-two. In the boot a set of gear securing rails is optional, and onto them you can fix a lockable strongbox. The Defender 110 will offer 5+2 seating which is marketing-speak for an occasional-use seven-seater. With the third-row seats used there’s 464 litres of storage space (or 646L on five-seat models), fold the third-row seats and there’s 916 litres of storage space (1075L on five-seat models) and up to 2233 litres with the second-row seats folded (or 2380 litres on five-seat models).
On the inside, the new Defender boasts an infotainment set-up that’s more modern than any other Land Rover with a next-generation system and twin screens. And, in-keeping with the retro thinking, there are plenty of exposed surfaces to hint back to the old Defender and beyond it to the original Series vehicles. Indeed, Land Rover claims the interior only requires a brush or wipe clean…how about we see how that goes after a run across the Simpson.
But you’ve got to get past the looks first. On the outside, the new Defender, according to Land Rover designer, Gerry McGovern: “The new Defender is respectful of its past but is not harnessed by it. This is a new Defender for a New Age. Its unique personality is accentuated by its distinctive silhouette and optimum proportions, which make it both highly desirable and seriously capable – a visually compelling 4×4 that wears its design and engineering integrity with uncompromised commitment”.
Sitting on a new platform, called D7x, Land Rover claims the Defender’s monocoque platform affords it the stiffest body of any Land Rover ever. Running on air springs, potential ground clearance is up to 291mm with the Defender 110 offering approach, breakover and departure angles of 38, 28 and 40 degrees (Off-Road height) respectively. Its maximum wading depth of 900mm is supported by a new Wade programme in the Terrain Response 2 system. The recovery points are safe for a 6.5-tonne snatch load, and the cost-optional winch is good for 4.5 tonnes of pull. Payload is 900kg, and maximum brakes towing limit of 3500kg.
At global launch there are two petrol engines, a four-cylinder with 220kW and a new straight-six giving 294kW and 550Nm of torque from 2000-5000rpm. There are also two four-cylinder diesels, at 147kW and 430Nm of torque and 177kW and 430Nm of torque from 1400rpm, both of them rated at an impressive 7.6L/100km on the WLTP cycle. Next year a petrol plug-in-hybrid version goes on sale in some countries, allowing commuter-length trips in pure electric drive. All versions have an eight-speed auto box as well as the two-speed transfer case.
There will be a raft of add-on packs too, including Adventure, Urban and Explorer, offering things like bolt on storage boxes, roof racks, roof-top tents, built-in remote-control winch, snorkel and much more.
24 comments
seeing that, I supposed the prices will increase on used previous models…
Looks good in LWB form. Interior looks functional and efficient as well as simple and attractive. Clearance, ramp-over and approach/departure angles very good. Decent electronic control along with Landrover’s usual excellent suspension design will ensure even better offroad performance than the previous Defender. If you look at the forums, particularly here in Australia, people who own both the Defender and recent Range Rovers/Discoverys, all are clear that they are superior to the old Defender offroad. Of course, onroad the Defender was laughably poor.
I will be putting it on my shopping list for my next vehicle for outback driving .
Real outback expedition style driving this plastic box won’t last,especially without a proper steel bull bar.
That’s really ugly. Owners of existing Defenders are likely to see their cars retained value become even stronger.
Why mess with such an iconic beast? I’m sure the tech is good but for me that design is off target:(
Sorry FAIL
No Live Axle
No Chassis (Going to be very difficult to modify)
85 x ECU’s (nothing to go wrong there hey!)
Air Bags (the most unreliable thing in any LR product)
No removable door/window
Suzuki Jimny & Jeep Wrangler moved into 21st Century and listened to their base.
Even Toyota with 70′ series has kept their real off road/working customers in mind.
Will it sell yes but only over-cashed up Grey Nomads and Yuppies plus a few misguided die-hards who will not admit this defender has missed the mark.
Unless you live in a major city close to a mechanic who is capable off actually dealing with any issues that comes up …
You won’t see me in one especially in the outback towing a 3.5 tn van.
No good having all that wiz bang gear if you can’t get support in the bush..
Trying to find some one now to service a land rover between big towns is hard work.
Maybe they should actually test it’s capability in the Australian outback for a year before they call this the new Defender
I can’t see the Army buying it without extensive alteration . I can’t see cashed up Grey Nomads buying it either instead of their Toyotas. And if had a classic late model Defender for sale right now I’d remove it for sale and keep it as an investment or add $10,000 to the price . Saying all that, I do like the look of new vehicle .
The major shame is that most wont makeit west of the Sandstone Curtain.
Will retain the memory of my SWB Series 2, slugger four that worked and could be washed out when finished with. RIP “real” Landrovers.
I don’t think there is much difference between all of them.
I purchased a 2017 Landcruiser Sahara. (NEW)
With every scheduled service between zero and 50000 klms it had to go back on every occasions to fix what they didn’t do properly.
Three different dealers in Sydney !
I don’t go near a Toyota dealer for anything to be done on this car.
I don’t think there’s
A lot of difference between any of them.
I bought a new Landcruiser Sahara in 2017.
With every service up to 50,000klms the car had to go back to the dealer on every occasion to fix something that they did wrong.
I don’t take my car to Toyota anymore,all work gets done by a local mechanic
Alan
I was hoping that with the Tata Group taking over Landrover, the Defender would have remained a mechanically simple and affordable vehicle. This this release it does not appear to be the case.
Original range rovers and landrovers were created by incredible individuals, genuinely gifted designers. Engineers and electrical engineers not. Revamped versions have been created by gifted engineers and electrical engineers. Designers not! Waiting for the third generation. When my great grandson can do the simpson desert or kimberlys on a paved road lined with housing estates with chineese and indian students.
Agreed. All makes have their problems – bent chassis, limp mode with a bit of dust, blowing white smoke with dud DPFs. The list goes on. People seem to still believe the myth if your x Breaks down pull into the local farmers and you can put his old part in your vehicle with a hammer and shifter. I think those days have gone for all makes
Had a D2 went out to Birdsville Bash towing a van really never had an issue but do understand that land rover do need to put more service centers in the out back or at least make parts more accessible we drove from Birdsville to Dubbo via Queensland through some major towns just to get an air filter no such luck till we got to Dubbo
Any Toyota part was available this is why I now have a 200 series
With their service usually capped you need to be really diligent to get things done & there are things that need special attention so go to someone who can specialize in your 4×4
Yeh the whole country is being overrun with chinese and indian students isn’t it robert? The only place to put them and their housing estates will be the nullarbor. Idiot
It’s still a damn sight better looking than a 200 series land cruiser which is just a big ugly lump of a vehicle that looks like it came from the early 90’s
Well said old mate.
Spot on.
All of the hi tech I don’t need why not make a basic version. I don’t need to know how deep a water crossing is, I don’t need a computer drying my brakes after a crossing I am more than capable of putting a foot on the brake pedal
So the new defender is actually, DUNDUNDUN!! a discovery.
I’ll take my big ugly lump over the Land Rover Defender any day of the week……..just saying!
No wooden spoked wheels, no crank handle, no hand advance retard or throttle, no wooden frame, no ………
Crikey, why on earth would anyone buy one?
Hmmmmm!
Meantime, I would definitely consider buying one and some of the good options for offroad, with an OBD111 reader for diagnostic reasons if required (I am not a mechanic, just a bit of an enthusiast with no qualifications) and then go outback towing my off road camper. And leave you behind.
BTW, I currently travel in my VW Touareg 4XMotion and VCDS software. Absolutely brilliant vehicle. No problems.
Like the Landcruiser with the blown ECU that was towed into Derby (or could have been Wyndham, it was a few years ago now when I was there) and had to then be towed to Darwin for full diagnostics and repair. Huge bill for the owners, as Toyota’s view was it was caused by the wiring of their additional fuel tank and wouldn’t pay.
Ruined their big trip, not to mention put an end to their travels through the Kimberley.