Land Rover Defender
Yes I know, the Defender is not technically speaking completely new, but other than the familiar name, this really is an all-new vehicle. So tough noogies - I include it.
From Dan Heyman:
After an almost 25-year hiatus, the Land Rover Defender has made its way back to North America, and with it, we get to experience the latest evolution – more of a revolution, really -- of one of the most famous nameplates not just in the SUV world, but in the automotive world in general.
… let’s get on to what I like about the Defender, and that starts with the cost of entry. You can get into the 110 for less than 70 grand – 70 grand! – assuming you can live with the four-banger. ... It’s a great deal and to be honest, the one option my $89,000 tester had that I really would want is that contrast-colour roof.
The real take-home for me, though, was just how easy the Defender was to manoeuvre through tight situations, ergo in urban situations. The steering is tuned just so and the view out is so good that parallel parking spots I felt would involve a lot of wheel turning were never as bad as I anticipated. It’s a masterclass in size management, for sure, because the 110 is not a small SUV by any means.
The pros so outweigh the cons here that this vehicle is a clear win for Land Rover, a company that, along with Jaguar, has had a rough go of late. The Defender is tailor-made to handle the rough stuff and it could very well be the shot in the arm that the company needs. I love it, and I want one.
Specifications sheet of Land Rover Defender
And from Vincent Aubé, who drove the smaller 90 variant:
The shorter Defender 90 remains, despite the brand's strategists’ best efforts, a niche vehicle with its two doors and a rear door that opens from left to right. Let's just say that the Defender 110 with its four doors and seven seats is a more practical vehicle for carrying passengers.
Based on the reactions of pedestrians and motorists I encountered on the road during my test drive, the design of the new Defender 90 is a winner.
If you know Land Rovers well, throw what you know out the window. Inside, the Defender 90 has nothing to do with the brand's other models. Of course, there are a few components borrowed from other vehicles in the group, but the environment is uniquely Defender.
This first contact aboard the 90, rarest of the two Defenders, was on the whole very positive. Aside from the somewhat high fuel consumption and the cost of the vehicle, the Defender 90 has as much charisma as the Range Rover and just as able to turn heads in the city and then grind it out in the country. Land Rover's new 4x4 has everything it takes to impress.
See: 2021 Land Rover Defender Review: It’s Baaaack!
See: 2021 Land Rover Defender pictures
See: 2021 Land Rover Defender 90 Review: At Home on the Boulevards and in the Mud
See: 2021 Land Rover Defender 90 pictures