America is absolutely obsessed with Land Rovers, whether it be the ultra-luxurious Range Rover or the rough and ready Defender. The new Defender has been outselling the old model by a large margin, but Americans still have a soft spot for the original car, which is fetching insane prices, especially when restored and modified. Osprey Custom Cars is one builder that specializes in these cars with previous creations including a 600-horsepower supercharged Defender, and a 1986 Defender that is more luxurious than most BMWs. The company has now revealed its latest build, and it could possibly be the best one yet.
This custom Defender 110 has undergone a complete ground-up build, including a complete exterior and interior makeover, and even an engine swap. On the outside, this Landy is painted Keswick Green with a Santorini black roof, and features black anodized aluminum billet hinges on the doors, hood, fire and ice side steps, front and rear LED lights, and a tough-looking KBX front grille with black intake vents.
The redone body rolls on a brand new chassis with stock suspension, upgraded rebuilt axles with front and back disc brakes, and 20-inch Kahn rims wrapped in all-terrain tires.
Under the hood sits a 5.3-liter LS V8 engine that sends 325 hp to the wheels via a six-speed automatic transmission.
Moving to the interior, this 110 now feels like a premium SUV from any of the major German manufacturers, and features a TDCI ‘Puma” style dashboard, aluminum door trimming, black Autobiography seating with front heated seats, and even an Alcantara headliner. Creature comforts include front and rear air conditioning, cruise control, and a custom center console with phone charging ports. The infotainment system is an Alpine double din stereo with Bluetooth, Apple CarPlay integration and JL speakers. The car has received further refinements in the form of heavy duty sound deadening material for a quiet ride.
Not only is this Land Rover Defender 110 classy, but its supremely capable off road. The perfect combination.
The 2020 Land Rover Defender proves you can enjoy an off-road vehicle without ever venturing off-road. Such is the privilege of luxury, to do what you want even if you never do.
Land Rover relies on this luxury premise, starting from the Discovery Sport up the lineup to six-figure Range Rover models too pretty to toss in the mud. Yet the return of the Defender SUV after a 22-year hiatus in the U.S. resurrects a dedicated and relatively affordable off-road Rover to conquer all the terrain.
Unfortunately, during my week with the Defender 110 three-row SUV, the holidays and pandemic blah conspired to keep me on my suburban streets, conquering nothing but snow banks.
That may reflect how many if not most Defender owners will use the venerable off-roader. I live in a middle-class suburb with upper-class ambitions. Pristine Jeep Wrangler Rubicons occupy garage spots, with knobby off-road tires sullied only by the weekend’s landscaping project. In more affluent nearby suburbs, fortunate teens with the sweetest sixteens drive Wranglers and their parents drive Rovers.
The Defender straddles that difference in image and price. Rest assured, its off-road capability is unassailable, like that of a billy goat, according to Kirk Bell, Senior Editor of Motor Authority. That helped it earn a TCC Rating of 6.6 out of 10. Around town, the Defender and its car-based unibody structure rides smoother and quieter than a rocky Wrangler or trundling Toyota 4Runner, at a similar price. The two-door Defender 90 costs $47,450, while the Defender 110 four-door model is $51,850. That’s a deal for a vehicle this capable and this well-equipped.
But the base turbo-4 lacks the billy goat’s gruff of the turbo-6 I tested. Loaded with options and packed with features, the 2020 Defender 110 First Edition tester cost nearly $80,000. That’s no deal. Here’s where the First Edition stood out and where it went flat during a week of suburban and urban winter driving.
Hit: Classic SUV style
The 2020 Defender 110 First Edition looks like a toy truck come to life, shaped like the very box it came in. From the front or rear, it has a stacked stance: Fenders flare out from broad shoulders that support a square greenhouse narrower than the body. Cladding over the wheel arches and rocker panels match the blacked out roof. The front is not its best angle; the pixelated lower grille looks like a heat plate from a…grill. In back, the spare tire mounts to a rear door hinged on the passenger side to swing out to the curb for safety, though it can block access in urban parallel parking settings.
The utilitarian interior is more compelling. The high seat position and rectangular glass provides a commanding view favored by SUV drivers and off-roaders. Exposed rivets on the door panels, dash, and console complement hard rubbery plastic that’s easy to clean and OK to muddle. Conserving space and limiting redundancies reflects the outdoorsy ethos of its targeted consumers.
Hit and miss: Improved but imperfect tech
The Defender comes well-equipped with 18-inch steel wheels, LED headlights, rear fog lights, rubber flooring, 8-way power adjustable front seats, wireless charging, and a 10.0-inch touchscreen with smartphone compatibility. The wide screen with small menu buttons is fixed over a simple climate control interface with physical temperature dials that double as seat warmer buttons. I love this set up so much more than twin screen anything. The clean, streamlined display is a nice touch that matches the utilitarian nature of the Defender. But the steering wheel controls require too long of a press to change audio stations. Such nitpicking of basic controls pales in comparison to all the latent and potential tech, including over-the-air updates and an excellent surround-view camera system that projects what’s around the Defender at ground level.
Miss: Explorer Pack
The tester came with the $4,800 Explorer Pack, that included the covered spare. Spare me. The over the top accoutrements include a steel saddlebag over the passenger side rear pillar, a massive roof rack like a flattened picnic table that added road noise and prohibited garage access, and a snorkel rising up the driver’s side front pillar less conspicuously than Toyota TRD Pro models. The mud flaps were cool, the decal was silly.
Hit: Interior storage
Cubbies, cargo shelves, door pockets, and other storage solutions evoke the clever use of space in backcountry backpacks, without all the zippers and carabiner hooks. A shelf runs the length of the dashboard, interrupted by the steering column and touchscreen. It’s perfect for transponders, phones, gloves, a ham sammich, duct tape, utility knife, a tube of tennis balls. Additionally, the center console has multiple levels of storage, cupholders, and a wireless charging shelf. It could also be swapped out for a front jump seat, so you could sit three across up front, same as in back. When not in use the novelty folds down with cup holders integrated into the back.
Miss: Third-row seats
The Defender 110 can be equipped to seat 5+2 in the wayback for $1,200. Skip it if you can. Grade schoolers could barely fit in the third row, and when they could it cramped second-row riders. The second-row slides forward as well as reclines, and that area is better used for its 34 cubic feet of cargo room.
Hit and miss: Punchy but inefficient powertrain
The uprated 3.0-liter turbo-6 makes 395-hp and 406 lb-ft of torque, good enough to launch the heavy upright box to 60 mph in under six seconds. It’s surprisingly quick given its dimensions, and the effortless 8-speed automatic transmission provides quick shifts. The 48-volt mild hybrid system is meant to even out the electrical load and increase efficiency, but the standard four-wheel-drive Defender has some thirsty window-sticker numbers: an EPA-rated 17 mpg city, 22 highway, 19 combined. On the upside, it can tow up to 8,200 pounds.
Hit: Surprisingly composed handling
The tester came with adaptive dampers that soaked up road imperfections and cleared curbside snowbanks with nary a shrug. It rides like most other car-based crossovers that lack the off-road chops of the Defender. Direct but light-to-the touch steering also adds some driver’s appeal. An air suspension lowers the ride height from the rear if loading up gear or the family Rover with four legs, and raises up to 2.9 inches for off-road clearance.
The off-roading component is the crucial one for the Defender. That should be why you’re considering it. But if the style and image compel more than any other attribute, it’s a worthy consideration for its striking, clever design and potent but inefficient turbo-6.
2020 Land Rover Defender 110 First Edition
Base price: $70,000, including destination
Price as tested: $79,190
Drivetrain: 395-hp 3.0-liter turbo-6 with an 8-speed automatic and four-wheel drive
EPA fuel economy: 17/22/19 mpg
The hits: Style, packaging, turbo-6
The misses: Price, Explorer Pack, useless third row.
That seems to be the theme these days with some car manufacturers as they harken back to the nostalgic ’40s, ’50s or ’60s to bring back popular iconic models in a repackaged old but new look.
Chevy did it with the Camaro. Ford is doing it this year by bringing back the once popular Bronco. Dodge certainly has had much success when this concept by bringing back more modern and stylized versions of the Charger and Challenger.
Not to be outdone, Land Rover has reached back into its truck/SUV vault to bring back the iconic Land Rover Defender.
The Land Rover Defender 110 – which is what I am reviewing this week – was actually styled after a very rugged British four-wheel drive off road vehicle first produced in 1948. This steel-framed truck gained a worldwide reputation for ruggedness and versatility.
Land Rover had a continuous run of 67 years of producing the Defender, pumping out over 2 million units in that timeframe. It ended production of the Defender in January 2016. Now, it’s back with a vengeance.
In 2020, the United Kingdom-based Land Rover brought back the four-door version of the Defender, badged the 110 SE, and for 2021 it also unveiled the two-door version of the same truck, badged the 90 model.
Needless to say, it’s been a smashing success.
The new Land Rover Defender line recently won accolades as it was named Motor Trend’s 2021 SUV of the Year.
“We are thrilled to honor the Land Rover Defender with our SUV of the Year award,” says Motor Trend Editor-in-Chief Mark Rechtin. “Part of the word ‘transportation’ is not just driving but the feeling of being transported. The moment you get into a Land Rover Defender you are transported. Every design element gives the sense of journey, safari, moving outward into the world with courage.”
Needless to say the folks at Land Rover were thrilled with the truck of the year award.
“It’s a great achievement and an honor for the new Defender to be selected as the SUV of the Year from Motor Trend,” says Joe Eberhardt, president and CEO of Jaguar Land Rover North America.
Personally, I first saw the new/old look Defender at the Philadelphia car show in 2019 where it was unveiled in a sneak peak presentation. I was impressed then with its new, but ruggedly old, look. But, of course, I didn’t get a chance to drive it.
More recently I had the privilege of jumping behind the wheel of the 2020 Land Rover Defender 110 SE – the four-door version – for one week for some real-life road testing.
The first thing I noticed about this new Defender was how ruggedly awesome it looks. My tester had a Gondwana Stone colored exterior with black rimmed, off-road 19 inch tires with an Ebony leather interior.
The Gondwana Stone is a light green that suits this vehicle just fine – giving it a military-like look.
The next thing you notice, after you jump into this rig, is how it was designed to be a sporty or utilitarian type vehicle but at the same time it is loaded with all the most modern tech.
The 10-inch touch screen infotainment system is one of the best in the business and the back up camera and surround camera system is simply astounding in its clarity and usefulness.
However, at the same time, the interior is Jeep rugged. There are no carpeted mats. Instead it is outfitted with very durable all-weather terrain mats, so if you accidentally drag some mud into the vehicle there will be no worries.
Moreover, the grab handles, shelving and compartments are comprised of a tough, polyurethane composite that lends itself to taking this vehicle on a safari with you.
In regular around town driving, the Defender performs well. It is comfortable to drive, a bit top heavy because it has a high center of gravity, but overall it handles well, takes bumps extremely well and is a pretty good highway cruiser as well.
But, that isn’t where this vehicle really struts its stuff. To really get the feel of the overall competence of this truck, you have to take it off road.
The folks at Motor Trend took their Land Rover Defender to the rugged terrain of Namibia’s Skeleton Coast when they tested it.
Obviously, I didn’t have that luxury. But, the sandy trails of South Jersey’s Pinelands would have to do for my test drive.
Needless to say, if the newly redesigned Defender was able to chew up the terrain of Namibia and win truck of year honors at the same time, handling the sandy Pinelands trails was kid stuff. And, it was.
The Defender performs best when it’s chewing up sand and gravel beneath its wheels and spitting it all out with ease. It holds the off-road quite nicely and you feel very confident that whatever mud puddle, sandy patch or small log that gets thrown in its path, you could handle it with ease.
My tester Defender 110 SE had a base price of $62,250. However, after options and destination and delivery it had a bottom line sticker price of $72,780.
Added options included but weren’t limited to: $1,020 for the driver assist package (adaptive cruise); $700 for a cold climate package (heated steering wheel); $2,080 for advanced off-road package; $1,750 for a sliding panoramic roof.
The government’s EPA fuel consumption ratings for this vehicle come in at 19 miles per gallon overall with 22 mpg in highway driving and 17 mpg in city driving.
The EPA estimates the annual fuel cost of operating the Defender to be $2,550 as it uses 5.3 gallons of gas per every 100 miles driven.
This vehicle has not been safety crash tested yet by the government.
My tester was powered by a 3.0 liter, six cylinder engine that puts out 395 horsepower.
The new Land Rover Defender is a faithful iteration of the iconic off-roader with its modern boxy styling and all-conquering prowess. As it turns out, Ares Design has come up with something better, and it’s based on the previous-gen Defender with a genuine ladder chassis.
“We created our first Defender Ultra V8 in 2018, so we have great knowledge of the vehicle and led us to create a second edition with an even more distinctive style and refined finish,” said Dany Bahar, Ares Design CEO.
It all starts with an old Defender 110 SW and generous servings of lightweight carbon-fiber body panels. Ares removed any visible body bolts and widened the fenders for a cleaner and more aggressive look. Also new are LED headlights, circular LED taillights, and a one-piece carbon-fiber front and rear end.
Additionally, Defender Spec 1.2 has bespoke 18-inch Ares-designed alloy wheels wrapped in Copper Discoverer STT Pro all-terrain tires. The taller ride height is courtesy of a 1.4-inch lift kit and electronically adjustable suspension. It also gets a panoramic roof and larger tinted windows.
Under the hood, the Defender’s old four-cylinder diesel engine is replaced with a 4.8-liter V8 motor with 280 horsepower and 324 pound-feet of torque. “Powered by the same V8 engine, the Ares Land Rover Defender Spec 1.2 retains the characteristics of the new Defender design but beautifully reimagined to express modernity and luxury,” added Bahar.
The engine sends power to all four wheels via a standard six-speed automatic gearbox. Furthermore, Ares reinforced the CV joints and axle shafts to cope with V8 power. Of course, the old brakes were retired in favor of an AP Racing brake kit with six-piston calipers.
Ares Design is known for turning ‘ordinary’ vehicles into something worth remembering. Last year, the company debuted its S Project Coupe and S1 Project Spyder supercars based on the new C8 Corvette. Whereas the S Project Coupe starts at $490,000, you don’t need that much money to order your very own Land Rover Defender Spec 1.2, although Ares has yet to divulge the exact cost of entry for its newest creation.
But if the first Ares Land Rover Defender is anything to go by, expect prices to start upwards of $264,000 for the conversion (not including the cost of an old Land Rover Defender), which Ares claims will take around three months to complete.
My introduction to Land Rover was as a kid when Matchbox created a sharp dark green boxy version with brown plastic luggage atop its roof. Then there was Daktari, the TV show about a wild animal veterinarian running the African savanna in a Rover.
I still think of Land Rovers as those boxy utilitarian beasts that mostly British folks used to roam Africa’s plains in search of wild game. One hopes now it was mostly for photography purposes instead of butchery.
Indeed, off-road prowess is Land Rover’s claim to fame, much like Jeep’s reputation was built on its ruggedness and ability to go anywhere, crushing rocks, sloshing through mud and swamp, swooshing around sand dunes and fording rivers. Then came luxury!
Since 1997 when Land Rover last sold a Defender in the U.S. market, Rover has become a luxury sport-utility nameplate with its Range Rover lineup. That’s all well and good, but some of the monied off-roading crowd also longed for a more rugged Defender type vehicle to take mudding, etc.
Well, the Defender 110 is back, and it’s an off-roader, loaded with technology AND luxury, although not the leather-slathered luxo of Range Rovers.
First, Defender looks more boxy and Land Roveresque than Range Rovers. Its designers have successfully managed a modern retro look that some may think looks like Defender was built of Legos. I like it!
But looks don’t ford rivers or mount rocks and Rover backs up Defender’s rugged looks with a strong 3.0-liter I6 that’s turbocharged and supercharged to create 395 horsepower. That’s certainly more than enough to sling the AWD vehicle to 60 mph in less than six seconds. A quick run-up on a highway entry ramp is a strong 93 mph.
Add light, easy handling and a compliant ride and this off-roader feels perfectly adept on city streets and Wisconsin’s rustic rural roads. I only went off-road briefly, but the air suspension here easily sucked up major bumps. Credit goes to that suspension and the fact this Defender features a unibody build, with independent suspension, unlike the older body-on-frame truck of the past with its solid rear axle.
Those air shocks also allow the Defender to be raised and lowered (by button) a couple inches for easier ingress and egress or to allow more convenient cargo loading. For convenience there also are a couple buttons inside the rear-opening door (not something I favor) to lower the tail.
But for any serious off-roader it’s the Terrain Response system that is Rover’s biggest selling point, although engaging it is a tad confusing. While most off-roading utes now allow you to turn a dial to engage off-roading choices, the Land Rover insists you use its less than intuitive infotainment screen, and other dash buttons.
Watch Mark’s review video:
At the home screen you are presented 12 choices, which DO make sense. There’s Climate, Seats, Towing & Trailers, Camera, Eco Data and more.
One is 4×4, the correct choice for off-road settings. That leads to another screen where you press Configurable TR, then another screen where you press OK to accept some legalistic mumbo jumbo. Now it sort of indicates you should press a button on the center stack between the two large climate control knobs. Do that and you are presented nine choices, of which Automatic is what you’ll want for daily driving, especially if streets are snowy.
Other modes are Eco, Comfort (also a good daily driver), Grass/Gravel, Sand, Rock Crawl, Wade, and Configurable. Be aware that if you don’t keep punching the button to move quickly from one setting to the next the screen zeros out and you need to start over.
Note too that if you choose Wade, the Defender will use sensors to tell you if you’re about to wade too deep into a puddle, stream or lake. Defender will wade in water up to 35.4 inches and features a big black snorkel on the driver’s side A-pillar to help it breathe in deep water.
For the record that snorkel and a giant roof rack that appears strong enough to carry several large dead beasts atop the roof, are part of a safari-inspired $4,800 option package. That also includes a snazzy matte black hood decal, mud flaps, spare wheel cover, wheel arch protection and a nifty, but odd, side-mount gear carrier that hangs off the passenger’s side rear window.
Quick note on that exterior gear carrier. You must slam it shut to get it to latch, just turning the key back to its starting position won’t do it. Found that out as it was flapping in the breeze when I took to the highway.
From a driving standpoint (which is the main point), the Defender is pleasant and powerful. It accelerates quickly, the 8-speed automatic transmission shifts efficiently and without fanfare, steering is light and precise and ride is comfortable. Grip is good because you have AWD, tested in moderate snow during my drive.
Inside, the silver test truck featured black cloth seats with perforated leather inserts and looked rather sparse for trim in that the doors and console feature panels with bolt heads to give it a Wild Kingdom ambiance. Yet the dash was all modern and high-tech with a 10-inch infotainment screen and digital gauges. While the dash itself was black with a soft almost foamy suede-like material on its top that is designed with a rounded edge for easy gripping as you slosh through the outback.
Seats are moderately supportive and feature three memory settings while the steering wheel is a power tilt/telescope number. Most useful is an open front console with plenty of storage room for maps, sunglasses, binoculars and the like. A wireless charger is in the console section with enclosed storage box and cup holders.
I tested the First Edition version of the 4-door Defender 110 and that adds a few other goodies of note. Most obvious is a large panoramic sunroof offering a great view of that monster roof rack. Other doodads include a refrigerated storage box between the front seats, a fine Meridian sound system and 12-way powered heated front seats and a heated steering wheel.
Standard too is a 360-degree camera, traffic sign recognition system, clear-exit monitor, blind-spot assist, lane keep assist, and emergency braking with alarm. It works!
Add-ons included a third-row seat that folds down into the cargo floor in back. It adds $1,200 and is basically useless for passengers as there’s no legroom. Save the dough! While you’re at it you can save the $1.075 for three-row climate controls.
Oddly off-road tires add $350 and a tow hitch receiver is $650. I’d think them standard on a $70,000 Rover aimed at off-roading and towing since Defender will haul 8,201 lbs. Don’t try 8,202?
Other options were minimal in cost and need, but added up to $79,190 for a grand total.
If you want the ultimate Defender that would be the X model at $80,900 and adds an electronic differential and All Terrain Progress Control System that when engaged acts similarly to a cruise control, but on low traction surfaces. That, to me, is defeating the purpose of a driver going off-road for fun and adventure, but it’s a clever feature.
Less monied buyers may opt too for the Standard Defender at $49,990, plus $1,025 delivery charge. It uses a less exuberant 2.0-liter turbocharged 4-cylinder engine that makes a still substantial 296 horsepower. Rover says it’ll do 0-60 mph in 7.7 seconds or about two seconds slower than the I6-equipped models.
Land Rover also offers S, SE and HSE trims on its ladder up to the First Edition and X. The HSE is aimed more at luxury with leather and wool seats.
Downsides here include the upper end pricing and poor gas mileage. I got just 16.1 mpg while the EPA rates Defender at 17 mpg city and 22 highway. I also don’t care for the rear-opening door in place of a hatch, but that’s necessitated by putting the heavy spare tire on the door.
This one also had no running boards, which is good for off-roading, but terrible for comfort on a daily basis as the step-up is enormous. That roof rack also creates major wind noise, the outside storage box blocks a big portion of passenger-side rear views via the mirror and the test vehicle’s AWD system groaned considerably when the ute was coasting.
At nearly $80,000 I’d expect more refinement, although I fully realize Defender is aimed more at avid off-roaders with money to burn. Defender is a mix of retro rough and tough and modern amenities.
Folks aiming more for off-roading basics will find a Jeep Wrangler Unlimited more affordable, or a basic Wrangler is a bargain for about $28,000 and both will climb rocks and slosh mud. Off-roaders with money, and an even larger ego, may want to consider Mercedes-Benz G-Wagen at $130,000 and change.
Overview: 2020 Land Rover Defender 110 First Edition
Hits: Modern retro looks, great power and off-roading ability, light easy handling, compliant ride. Panoramic sunroof, heated seats/steering wheel, wireless charger, 360-degree camera, vehicle’s air shocks raise/lower ute, will wade in 35 inches of water.
Misses: Big price, poor gas mileage, rear-opening door not hatch, less than intuitive info screen, no running boards, AWD groans when ute is coasting, roof rack creates major wind noise, odd outside storage box blocks rear view in side mirror.
Made In: Nitra, Slovakia
Engine: 3.0-liter supercharged, turbocharged I6, 395 hp
Transmission: 8-speed automatic
Weight: 5,773 lbs.
Wheelbase: 119 in.
Length: 197.6 in.
Cargo: 11/35/69 cu.ft.
Tow: 8,201 lbs.
MPG: 17/22, 16.1 (tested)
Base Price: $70,000 (includes delivery)
Invoice: $65,881
Major Options: Third row seats, $1,200
Three-row climate controls, $1,075
Tow hitch receiver, $650
Off-road tires, $350
60/40 load-through rear seat, $100
Cabin air ionizer, $100
Air quality sensor, $75
Rear seat convenience pack, $140
Premium interior protection/storage pack, $700
Explorer pack (mud flaps, matte black hood decal, spare wheel cover, wheel arch protection, raised air intake, expedition roof rack, exterior side-mount gear carrier), $4,800
