These days very few objects have the ability to stand the test of time and everything is arriving plus vanishing in an instant. It is the same with cars as only a few names carry on for years and years. The Land Rover Defender is one of them. The first generation model was a hardcore off-roader with little in terms of creature comforts but it was an icon for its ability to withstand any terrain. It was simple and built to do only one thing: going anywhere and everywhere. However these days even any basic object has to multi-task so in the case of the Defender, Land Rover took that basic formula and changed everything around it. What you see here is the new generation Defender and it is unlike anything else. Let me explain.

 



I will start with what the Defender is all about. It is a hardcore SUV built to do what its previous generation model did but do it with a lot of technology, electronics and comfort. It will also happily be your only car with enough space for your family while even being good to drive. Let us begin this review with the tougher bit, which is the luxury as well as the practical side of the Defender. Get in via the heavy doors and it feels like a bank vault inside. Yet the cabin is luxurious and also very cool with its design being completely different from other Land Rovers. There is a massive beam running across the cabin with Defender written on the side plus there are grab handles attached to it. The storage space is huge in the middle while the central display is a massive touchscreen with a slick graphics/touch response. Even the instrument cluster is fully digital and looks amazing.


Yet you also have leather upholstery but mixed with a durable textile material. A huge sunroof is there but the flooring is rubberized so that it is easier to clean. Even the controls are sized in a way so as to access them easily while off-roading. It even gets over the air updates and a premium audio system  plus wireless charging, electrically adjustable and heated front seats, 360 degree camera, connected car tech and even a heads up display! I can go on but notably in this 110 version with 5 doors, the seating options go from five, six or 5+2 seater configurations. The luggage space behind the second-row seats is 1,075 litres, and it is 2,380-litres when the second row is folded.


While the Defender may look intimidating, it is very easy to drive it everyday. The Defender has a monocoque construction which means unlike ladder-frame SUVs, the Defender has something we call as "ride quality". You are not tossed around and neither is it very bulky to drive. The steering is light and the 8-speed automatic is smooth. A 2.0 turbo petrol might not be a natural choice for a massive SUV like the Defender but times have changed. Thanks to the lighter construction the Defender is not as heavy as you think and the 300 bhp plus 400Nm is enough for it to overtake anything easily and cruise at big speeds all day. The off-road centric tyres and the massive wheels do not harm the ride and the tough suspension makes driving over our bad roads easy. In-fact driving the Defender puts the driver under a false notion that our roads are getting better!



Then let me come to the best bit and that is the off-roading and the capabilities of this SUV. Now you do not need to do hardcore off-roading to appreciate all that the new Defender has, as some of its features is actually useful in every day situations. Due to air suspension the ride and handling is much better than some other SUVs plus you can raise it or lower it. The ground clearance is a massive 291mm and it has a wading depth of 900mm. There are cameras around you to give a clear vision when driving while there is a specific 'wade' setting which helps you drive it through scary levels of water easily. Come Mumbai rains at its peak or even Gurugram rains and that would be handy I am sure!

Whether you actually use it or not, the new Defender is hugely capable but the best part is that you do not need to be an off-road expert to enjoy its capabilities. Its off-road system lets you customize according to the terrain from high to low-range to controlling the throttle, brakes, steering etc. Or you can just let the car do its thing. There is so much that Land Rover has packed into this car and that makes off-roading or just using it everyday easier. You can enjoy it on the weekends while even being driven to work in it. The Defender just works everywhere. It also looks really cool with a proper SUV shape. The square nose and those boxy lines looks great while the spare-wheel at the back with the vertical tail-gate, makes you feel as if you are operating a tank. The short overhangs are there to make it usable off-road. It is quite clear that it is not just styled for style's sake.

In short for the price, the Defender is the coolest set of wheels which you can get, as it is an SUV that actually combines off-road ability along with a certain amount of luxury. It also helps that it looks very cool while doing so.The 110 Defender starts from Rs 80 lakh while the top-end version goes till 90. If you have the money, then this is it.




Pros- Design, capability, practicality, features, value

Cons- Too many electronics/functions can confuse

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