2021 Land Rover Defender 110 Review

Please excuse my ‘no shit, Sherlock’ moment as I try to state the obvious: that the new Land Rover Defender might’ve got a prestigious badge (iconic, too, as some many call it) but this heirloom also brought it some rather large shoes to fill. And that for any car, no matter how good it is in its latest iteration, is a sign of imminent outrage from purists, a possible boycott by people who haven’t even tried the car, and some incessant trolling on the wonderful world of social media. The Defender received its share of criticism, too; some of which was plain verbal abuse by keyboard warriors while many made a strong point, too. That the Defender had suddenly become more expensive was never going to be an easy one to swallow. And not just on the entry-level end of the range but also when one looked at the fully loaded version, which is pretty much Range Rover Sport money; and I’m not even talking about the Defender V8 yet. But that hasn’t stopped buyers from jogging to Land Rover dealers for what is quite possibly the coolest car the British carmaker has launched in the last few years.

There are two body styles to choose from, namely the 90 and the 110. These, unlike in the past, are more symbolic and less about the actual dimensions of the vehicle. The engine choices include petrol and diesel units, which depending on the market, can include 2-litre inline-four and 3-litre straight-six units. Topping the range is the supercharged V8 engine (AJV8), which is now being made by Jaguar Land Rover, and by the looks of it, can add to the dual personality of the new Defender. For those looking at a proper workhorse, Land Rover’s Commercial range for the UK includes the Defender Hard Top, which has an exterior signage panel and interior enhancements to make the Defender ready for some heavy-duty lugging. In India, the car can be specced with either a 2-litre petrol, a 3-litre petrol, a 3-litre diesel, or the aforementioned 5-litre supercharged V8 petrol. As is evident from the wide range, there’s no dearth of choices in terms of engines or variants.

On the outside, the Land Rover Defender 110 makes a lasting impression, with its ‘no fucks given’ boxy design, a spare wheel that proudly protrudes making reverse parking in tight spaces slightly challenging, and fairly chunky tyres. The nice throwback touches might offer an obligatory nostalgia but don’t look out of place on a modern vehicle that the new Defender is. Its modernity becomes evident not just from the lights or the not-too-noisy 2-litre engine but also from the way it can possibly hide itself in urban conditions. While cars like the G-Class and the Wrangler will always stand out, the Defender gels better with its surroundings; another point proving that its is a meaningful design that’s not driven entirely by nostalgia.

The cabin does present a smidgeon of nostalgia if you’re coming from the original Defender. No, it’s not in the way the dashboard is laid out but rather how my right knee kept accidentally bumping one of the buttons. But everything else is right on point: the minimal approach for the cabin, how the hard plastics seem perfect for a vehicle like this, how the little ‘safari’ windows light up the cabin, and how all the off-road-related functions are easy to access. Showcased ages ago as a concept, the invisible bonnet is exceptionally useful when one is out and about off-roading.

Photo by Limin Mathew

While negotiating a small off-road stretch that wouldn’t even qualify for green-laning in the UK, I realised how natural it is for one to rely on cameras, especially when there’s no spotter around. Land Rover’s Terrain Response System 2 along with lockable diffs makes driving the Defender over unimaginably difficult surfaces possible if not overly easy. While my drive wasn’t a scientific test to challenge the limits of the Defender, but the 2-litre petrol engine did seem a bit hesitant at times. I’m pretty sure that won’t be the case with the diesels or the larger petrols but I expected a bit more accessible performance from the engine. It doesn’t lose breath on the road, and performs well; although I do remember that the Range Rover Sport, with the same engine but a different platform, felt a tiny bit more energetic.

At the extended ‘off-road’ height, the Defender clears obstacles that would’ve otherwise scraped the underbelly, making it an option that deserves to be ticked by anyone who’s considering the Defender and won’t mind putting its off-road abilities to use. The low-range gearbox also deserves praise because, with it, the Defender just unsticks itself with the alacrity of a young terrier.

The canine comparison isn’t misplaced because the Defender can very much be its master’s best friend, as people have witnessed with Land Rovers of the past. The other unavoidable comparison — one with the G-Class can’t be ignored, either. But there’s a huge price difference between the two, and the Defender V8 is pretty much in the same ballpark as a well-specced G 350d. Both cars are so good that it’d be difficult to choose between these two, despite Land Rover offering a more fun engine (arguably; in comparison to the AMG V8) and Mercedes-Benz offering a more upmarket cabin, sophisticated ride and handling, and for many, better brand appeal.

Regardless of the model you choose, the Defender as a product has gone miles ahead of the original, and there’s a great chance that car lovers two decades from now will gawk at it the way we appreciate the old Defender now. It does everything a car like the Defender ought to do in 2021 and then some more. It redefines cool, and no matter how big its predecessor’s shoes were, it fits those perfectly well. That is a clear sign of success — and the new Defender is an ideal example.

Price: Rs 89.63 lakh, ex-showroom, for the 2021 Land Rover Defender 110 SE, as on November 4, 2021