The 2021 Land Rover Defender is available in 90 and 110 body designs, with up to six seats available in the 90 and the option of five, six or 5+2 seating in the 110. At launch, the model range comprised the Defender, First Edition and top-of-the-range Defender X models. New for 2021 Model Year is the Defender X-Dynamic, bridging the gap between Defender and Defender X with a tough exterior look and unique interior fittings to set it apart from the rest of the lineup. The Defender X-Dynamic can be enhanced further with a choice of S, SE and HSE Specification Packs.
DESIGN: REINVENTING A DESIGN ICON
Land Rover has defined all-terrain capability and toughness from the conception of its very first 4×4. The Series and Defender models before it have gone above and beyond for decades, securing iconic status for their ability to help people make more of their world. The New Defender takes these much loved characteristics and reimagines them for the 21st century.
With its distinctive silhouette and optimum proportions, the New Defender has toughness at its core while its interior’s rugged modular architecture embraces the spirit of adventure that has been a fundamental part of Land Rover DNA for more than 70 years.
Gerry McGovern, Chief Design Officer, Land Rover, said,“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.”
The New Defender is available in perfectly proportioned 90 and 110 body designs, sharing the same short front and rear overhangs. Several models are available, including: Defender, X-Dynamic, Defender X and First Edition, with S, SE and HSE Specification Packs for Defender and X-Dynamic.
Exterior finishes
Land Rover has developed a curated exterior palette with unique colors just for the New Defender. A lot of body work is exposed in the interior – so the color palettes are modular between interior and exterior.
On the X derivative, the gloss black inset contrast hood is standard along with Gloss Black claddings. To give further differentiation between the X and Core vehicles, the front and rear skid pans and other detailed exterior parts are coated in a Starlight Satin finish. To perfectly bridge the gap between the two, the Defender X-Dynamic blends gloss painted Narvik Black exterior door and wheelarch cladding with Silicon Satin skid pans.
Constructivist interior design
The constructivist modular interior architecture of the Defender communicates its highly functional nature, underpinned by its practical layout and reductive design.
Alan Sheppard, Director, Interior Design, Land Rover, said, “Within, we strived to harness the Defender vehicle’s profound spirit of boundless adventure. A comfortable interior which is at once impeccably handsome for the discerning, shrewd in functionality and prudently qualified in anticipation of any adversity.”
HSE models feature high grade Windsor Leather, while the Defender X features Windsor Leather in combination with Steelcut Premium Textile accent for enhanced durability. This premium textile from Kvadrat is a 30 percent wool blend and is also available as a full alternative to the leather upholstery paired with Miko Suedecloth.
Customers can also choose from a curated range of veneers and finishers, which include a rugged rough-cut Walnut or Natural Smoked Dark Oak Veneer, both of which are open pore to give a more natural haptic. Powder coating colors available include Dark Grey for the ‘X’ derivative and Light Grey as standard on mainline Defender and X-Dynamic models, with the option of the product-inspired white for all the exposed metal parts.
The new Defender X-Dynamic features unique interior materials that confirm its place between core Defender models and the X. Highly durable Robustec material is found on the seat ribbons and Console Finisher. Robustec is a protective and hard-wearing material inspired by textiles used in extreme outdoor activities, and is used inside the Defender on areas that are subject to heightened wear. The Robustec accents feature in the same selection of colorways available across S, SE and HSE models.
Amy Frascella, Director, Color and Materials, Land Rover, said, “Essentially a tool – obtaining this balance of tactility, softness and durability was key to create a modern premium aesthetic for both the interior and exterior materials. We have enabled innovation of materials by creating new approaches to development, challenging conventions of traditional methods of make and modifying existing technologies.”
CAPABILITY: REDEFINING BREADTH OF CAPABILITY
Configurable Terrain Response®4 makes its debut in New Defender, allowing drivers to set-up the vehicle to suit the precise off-road conditions. The Terrain Response® 2 system also includes a new Wade program3 which optimizes all of the vehicle systems accordingly.
Strong and tough body structure
Raising the position of the body by 0.8in compared to the Land Rover brand’s existing range of large SUVs, and relocating elements including the battery and cooling circuits, has enabled Land Rover engineers to deliver ultra-short front and rear overhangs, which boasts impressive approach and departure angles of 38 and 40 degrees respectively. With a wheelbase of 119in (3.9in longer than a Discovery) the 110 has a breakover angle of 28 degrees (31 degrees for the 90) ensuring excellent off-road geometry*.
The short rear overhang, the same for both body designs, is made possible by mounting the spare wheel externally, rather than under the rear floor, where it is readily accessible off-road, and the trademark side-hinged rear door is engineered to accommodate any of the available wheel and tire combinations.
Sophisticated chassis
The monocoque body construction developed for the New Defender has a stiff aluminum body, able to withstand 6.5 tons snatch load through the recovery points. This strong, stiff structure provides the perfect foundations for the 4×4’s advanced all-independent suspension. The sophisticated double wishbone front and integral link rear suspension optimizes off-road performance while delivering excellent handling dynamics and comes with a choice of coil spring or Electronic Air Suspension – offered standard on Defender 90 First Edition and X variants, as well as all Defender 110 models.
The familiar suspension layout uses all-new components to deliver world-class durability with new steel subframes and uprated ball joints and bushes that are designed to withstand several off-road impacts – the wheels can withstand up to seven tons of vertical load into the body. As a result, the New Defender delivers an unmatched breadth of capability, combining long-haul cruising comfort and rewarding handling characteristics with immediate responses and peerless off-road performance.
Available Adaptive Dynamics4 allows customers to adjust driving characteristics. The system’s adaptive dampers monitor body movements up to 500 times per second and respond almost instantaneously to optimize body control and comfort.
The confidence-inspiring and sure-footed New Defender excels off-road, where its maximum suspension articulation of 19.7in comes into its own. It can tackle 45-degree side slopes and inclines of 45 degrees with customary composure, but the biggest transformation comes on the road, where the New Defender is engaging and agile.
A transformational breadth of capability sets New Defender apart. Permanent four wheel drive and a twin-speed transfer case, center differential and optional Active Locking Rear Differential helps ensure it has all the hardware required to excel in the soft sand of the desert, the freezing tundra of the arctic and just about everywhere in between4.
Powertrains
Customers can choose between a turbocharged four-cylinder P300 engine and an efficient six-cylinder P400 Mild-Hybrid (MHEV) powertrain.
The inline six-cylinder Ingenium gasoline engine, with MHEV technology, features both a conventional twin-scroll turbocharger and an advanced 48-volt electric supercharger, with a belt-integrated starter motor in place of the alternator to assist the gasoline engine, and a 48-volt lithium-ion battery to store energy captured as the vehicle slows down. All engines drive through a smooth and responsive eight-speed ZF automatic gearbox and twin-speed transfer case, to provide a set of low-range ratios essential for towing or off-road driving when more control is required.
Configurable Terrain Response®
Land Rover has introduced a series of technologies to help deliver the capability customers expect from a Defender vehicle, including the latest generation of its patented Terrain Response® system4. Configurable Terrain Response® technology allows drivers to use the touchscreen of the new Pivi Pro6 infotainment to suit its precise surroundings.
In the original Defender, drivers could lock the central differential manually using the high-to-low range gear selector. In the New Defender, drivers can prevent cross-axle slip using the Center Slip Limited and Center and Rear Slip Limited options on the central touchscreen controller. In addition, there is a choice of three settings for the throttle and gearbox response, steering and traction control, allowing experienced off-roaders and all-terrain novices to tailor the vehicle set-up to suit their requirements. The system allows four individual profiles to be saved, so different drivers can quickly activate their preferred settings.
Alternatively, the intelligent Auto functionality of Terrain Response® 2can recognize the surface and configure the vehicle appropriately without input from the driver4.
The Defender is also the first Land Rover vehicle to feature a Wade program4 within the Terrain Response® 2menu. The new setting automatically softens the throttle response, sets the heating and ventilation to recirculate cabin air, locks the driveline and adjusts the ride height to its off-road setting while activating the Wade Sensing3 screen on the infotainment system. This allows drivers to see the depth of surrounding water and provides confidence when fording – allowing drivers to take full advantage of the world-class maximum wading depth of 35.4in.
Land Rover advanced All-Terrain Progress Control and ClearSight Ground View7 technologies also support drivers in extreme off-road situations, showing the hidden area directly in front of the vehicle using the central touchscreen.
Towing and carrying
The strong body architecture of the New Defender helps customers make more of their world, whether they want to tow heavy loads or carry them, with a comprehensive range of roof racks and tow bar systems, and a maximum towing capacity of 8,201lb. State-of-the-art technologies include available Advanced Tow Assist4, which takes the stress out of difficult reversing maneuvers by letting drivers steer trailers with their fingertips using a rotary controller on the central console. New for the Defender, the intelligent setup works with 3D visualization on the central touchscreen2.
The ultra-strong body is ready for overland adventures, with a maximum roof load of 370lb making it perfectly suited to both camping trips and visits to the hardware store. The 661lb maximum static roof load1 allows adventurous souls to make use of the expedition-ready pop-up roof tent accessory, turning the Defender into an all-terrain home away from home.
| Loadspace Volumes | Defender 110,Five Seat | Defender 110,5+2 Seat | Defender 90,Five Seat |
| Max. loadspace capacity, behind row three (to the roofline) | n/a | 10.7 cu ft | n/a |
| Max. loadspace capacity, behind row two (to the roofline) | 34 cu ft | 34.6 cu ft | 15.6 cu ft |
| Max. loadspace capacity to the roofline (row two seats folded) | 78.8 cu ft | 69.0 cu ft | 58.3 cu ft |
The second-row seatbacks are split 40:20:40 for maximum flexibility, while loadspace rails on the floor of the luggage space come with a range of load retention accessories to prevent smaller items from moving around inside. A lockable Security Box provides added protection on overland adventures – the heavy-duty steel box secures to the loadspace rails and is big enough to hold laptops, tablets and other valuables. In addition, all Defender SUVs feature a lockable 1.5 gallon glovebox and deep door pockets. The exposed cross car beam also doubles as a shelf to provide 1.83 gallon of open storage.
The Defender has always been the perfect companion for outdoor adventures and the new model is no different. The clip-in loadspace cover is designed to double as a ground mat for picnics or when changing mucky footwear on wet surfaces. The hose-clean and machine washable material is another example of the rugged and practical design of the New Defender.
The versatile loadspace is both big and clever. A switch panel inside the rear door allows customers to adjust the rear ride height of the Electronic Air Suspension. Customers can also specify a tow hitch receiver, allowing them to make full use of the vehicle’s 8201lbs2 maximum towing weight.
