When Land Rover approached Jeremy Clarkson to review the all-new Defender, the 60-year-old journalist and presenter was determined to dislike the luxurious SUV with unibody construction. But as it often happens to J.C., his assumption was eventually turned upside down.
Writing for The Sunday Times, the tallest of the three amigos on The Grand Tour“was never a fan of the old Defender.” Jeremy Clarkson isn’t particularly smitten by the die-hard fans who prefer the body-on-frame model and the Land Rover Series, and I totally see where he’s coming from.
Take, for instance, the Wrangler. Over the course of four generations, Jeep didn’t change the essentials, but did improve the breed in ways that actually make sense. A more comfortable driving position, better steering, improved ride quality, even a plug-in hybrid; Jeep did all that but didn’t dare switch from a body-on-frame 4×4 to a luxed-up sport utility vehicle.
Land Rover, by comparison, abandoned the good ol’ ladder frame even though it wasn’t necessary. Even Ford tapped into the Wrangler’s segment with the pickup truck-based Bronco because there’s a lot of money to be made in this market. As for the all-new Defender, well, Richard Hammond believes that Land Rover should’ve named it Discovery and call it a day.
Turning our attention back to Clarkson, he’s most impressed by the interior, technological trickery, and off-road capability of the short-wheelbase model he reviewed. The “pointlessly visible screw heads” on the door cards are not to his liking, and the price tag left him baffled at 62,000 pounds sterling. A well-equipped spec with a six-pot engine soars past 80,000 pounds sterling, and that’s a big no-no because it’s full-size Range Rover territory.
“Excuse me, but if I want a vehicle to cart around bales of straw and sheep — and I do, by the way — why would I spend £50,000-plus on a Defender?” Clarkson further wrote for The Sunday Driving Times that his tester was bonging hysterically at him when maneuvering near blades of grass, and I’m pretty lost for words about that. An off-roader is scared of grass, really?
Two more problems Jeremy has highlighted are the wind noise on the motorway and “the sort of constant diagonal pitching motion.” The verdict? Well, J.C. likes the brand-new Defender, but he “can’t see the point of it.”
He says the Range Rover is a much better alternative for well-to-do people who commute every weekend to a nice estate in the British countryside, though surprisingly enough, Jeremy Clarkson would pick a very different type of vehicle to call his own. Instead of the Defender, J.C. would rather have the “cheaper, more tax-efficient, and more practical Ford Ranger Raptor.”
After Richard Hammond had a go in the all-new Defender, Tiff Needell is much obliged to give his thoughts on that very same Defender. Seriously, just check the license plates! But as opposed to Richard’s criticism, Tiff defends the unibody sport utility vehicle for an understandable reason.
Speaking of body-on-frame models of old, our protagonist remembers how much he hated driving the Defender on the road for “more than a dozen or so miles.” Land Rover Defenders from that era definitely aren’t luxurious, and the ride quality isn’t comparable to the air suspension of the newcomer.
Once in the driver’s seat, Needell can’t escape the feeling that he’s in something different from the previous generation of the Defender and the Land Rover Series from days long gone. The heritage design elements such as the exposed screw heads and chunky grab handles “are just token gestures,” though. Make no mistake about it, “this car is all about luxury.”
As far as the driving experience is concerned, “this is nothing like the Defender of old. This is an enjoyable family SUV.” Right after that line, Tiff corrects himself by adding “sorry Land Rover, four by four.” Reading between the lines, the people behind the Defender wanted the Defender to appeal to a much wider audience than the body-on-frame model. Given the high starting price of the newcomer, profit margins had a huge say as well.
At 43,625 pounds sterling for the short-wheelbase version with the mild-hybrid and twin-turbo diesel Ingenium engine, there’s no denying Land Rover is gunning for different customers. Compare that price to 23,100 pounds sterling for the body-on-frame Defender in 2016, and you can clearly tell how much has changed in such a short amount of time. But does it surprise you? Lest we forget, demand for SUVs is at an all-time high.
Tiff also takes the newcomer off-road, worrying about the fancy wheels, but the Landie does a good job in this scenario without breaking a sweat. As for the verdict, Mr. Needell gives the Defender his blessing.
Still, something’s been bugging me about the whole review. As one YouTuber puts it in the comments section, “is this a car review or an advertorial?”
The Grand Tour’s Richard Hammond is a big fan of the original Land Rover Defender, but is he as fond of the new one?
In typical Drivetribe fashion, this isn’t an ordinary review and instead revolves around the British journalist driving to the countryside to take his dog for a walk. Yes, really.
The example tested by Hammond was the Defender 110 D240 that features a turbodiesel 2.0-liter inline four-cylinder producing 237 hp. Given the size and weight of the new Defender, it comes as no surprise that it isn’t particularly quick.
Approximately halfway through the video, Hammond showcases his first-generation Defender that he has been in the process of restoring for the last decade. It’s a very special thing and, while the new Defender is much more capable than the original and loaded with the latest technologies and luxuries, is it actually as good as its predecessor?
Hammond doesn’t seem to be all that fond of the new Defender and towards the end of his review, after taking his dog for a walk, says that this isn’t really a Defender and should be badged as a Discovery.
While the new Defender has certainly ruffled a few feathers among the most faithful of Land Rover enthusiasts, we do expect it to sell in relatively high numbers. Sales will no doubt spike following the automaker’s recent decision to drop the four-cylinder turbodiesel engine that Hammond tested in favor of a new Ingenium six-cylinder diesel sold in D300 guise with 296 hp and 479 lb-ft (650 Nm) of torque.
Does a diesel engine make the new Defender even more desirable?
There is no diesel-powered Defender in the U.S. lineup, so the Land Rover Defender 110 D240 is forbidden fruit for Americans. It’s also a rare beast: You can’t order one anymore, even in its home market.
After less than a year on the market, the Defender’s 2.0-liter turbodiesel I-4 powertrain—available in both 197-hp and 237-hp tune—has been replaced by Jaguar Land Rover’s new 3.0-liter twin-turbodiesel mild-hybrid inline-six oil-burner, tuned to deliver 197 hp, 247 hp, or 296 hp, depending on how much you want to spend. But as the mild-hybrid six-cylinder diesel has yet to officially hit the road in the Defender (the new engine has just made its debut in the flagship Land Rover Range Rover), the Defender 110 D240 is all we have to answer the question: Does a diesel engine make the new Defender even more desirable?
Torque and fuel efficiency are a diesel engine’s strong points, and both are desirable characteristics in an off-road-capable SUV weighing more than 5,100 pounds. But as we found while testing the 2020 Jeep Wrangler Unlimited Rubicon EcoDiesel, there are some downsides, too.
The Land Rover Defender is of course MotorTrend’s 2021 SUV of the Year, and deservedly so. As we’ve discovered, after driving it in Africa, Europe, and the U.S., the Defender’s ride and handling, comfort and refinement—on and off the road—set new benchmarks for a seriously off-road-capable 4×4. In terms of all-round usability and go-anywhere drivability, it’s the pick of the current Land Rover lineup, and that includes the high-zoot Range Rovers. OK, you don’t get the glamor of a Rangie, nor—for now—the option of a high-performance V-8 engine. But the utilitarian luxury of the Defender seems appropriately on point in these troubled times.
In D240 spec, the 2.0-liter diesel four delivers 237 hp at 4,000 rpm and 317 lb-ft of torque at 1,400 rpm. That torque peak is almost midrange in a low-revving diesel, which is why our highly optioned Gondwana Stone 110 D240 S felt a little leisurely pulling away from a standstill. JLR’s own figures suggest a 0 to 60 mph acceleration time of 8.7 seconds and a top speed of 117 mph.
Although the Defender 110 D240 will happily cruise the freeway at 80 to 85 mph, the little engine murmuring throatily in the background, the 2.0-liter gasoline turbocharged I-4 in the Defender 110 P300 delivers better performance. It boasts 59 more horses than the little diesel—296 hp at 5,500 rpm—yet, crucially, produces just 7 percent less torque—295 lb-ft from as little as 1,500 rpm. According to JLR, the 110 P300 is a whole second quicker to 60 mph than the D240-powered model, and 2 miles per hour faster.
Where the D240 powertrain makes its strongest case over the P300 is in terms of efficiency. Official EPA numbers show the Defender 110 P300 returning 17/20/18 mpg city/highway/combined. Over a 530-mile stint that included mooching along narrow country lanes in Wales at 20-30 mph, extended freeway cruising at 70-80 mph, and grinding through stop-start London traffic, the Defender 110 D240 S returned an average of 24 mpg.
Does a diesel engine make the new Defender more desirable? On the basis of our time in the 110 D240, no. Sure, it’s more economical than the gas-powered P300. But it’s significantly slower.
The new six-cylinder diesel might change that verdict, though. On paper it’s a very compelling powertrain. In top-spec Defender D300 tune it produces 296 hp at 4,000 rpm and—more important—a meaty 480 lb-ft of torque from 1,500 rpm to 2,500 rpm. That’s 24 percent less power than the 3.0-liter gasoline mild-hybrid super- and turbocharged inline-six that currently powers top-spec Defender P400s in the U.S. but 18 percent more torque.
JLR’s own performance figures claim the Defender D300 engine delivers a 0 to 60 mph acceleration time of 6.7 seconds in the 110, neatly splitting the 110 P400’s 5.8 seconds and the 110 P300’s 7.7 seconds. And, according to the European WLTP combined fuel consumption numbers, it does that while being 28 percent and 33 percent more fuel efficient, respectively, than either gas engine. (The 2.0-liter engine has to work hard in the 110—even the U.S. EPA numbers show the bigger, more powerful six-cylinder has the same city fuel consumption as the little four-banger, and better highway mileage.)
Of course, there’s a price to pay: U.K. buyers have to order the SE trim level to get the D300 powertrain, but the increase in price from a Defender 110 P300 SE to a 110 D300 SE is only 6.9 percent, less than the 9.3 percent price differential in the U.S. between a 110 P400 SE and a 110 P300 S optioned up with similar equipment.
Offering good performance and impressive efficiency at a competitive price point, the D300-spec diesel looks, on paper, to be the best of all worlds. Is it the engine that makes this brilliant Land Rover even more desirable? We’ll let you know once we’ve driven a Defender 110 D300.
Hiking, history, and some really good tarts, thanks to Land Rover’s newest model
In these strange times of COVID-19 bubbles and limited travel, we need to find adventure close to home. With that in mind, my wife Claire and I embarked on a trek in search of fresh air, postcard vistas, home-baked treats and very large (carved) snakes. Our vehicle of choice was one of the most anticipated vehicles of the year (at least among the off-road and wannabe off-road crowd) – the 2020 Land Rover Defender 110.
Our journey would have us wending our way along some of my favourite scenic roads in Ontario, in the Halton region just north of Burlington. We’d go hiking in two of the seven Halton Region Conservation Parks, and conclude our day at Springridge Farm, where we would pick up some local apples and a few of their famous tarts.
Our Defender 110 P400 SE ($76,000 base price) was a tad over-qualified for the job, having been equipped for press fleet duties with just about every boonie-bashing option imaginable.
But dang, it looked the part in Pangea Green ($900), and sporting the Explorer Pack ($6,000) that bestows such suburban necessities as extra body cladding, an exterior side-mounted gear carrier (for un-muddied Hunter boots), lightweight roof rack (for that mega Holt-Renfrew shopping spree), matte-black 110 hood decal, spare wheel cover, and the all-important engine intake snorkel. This black plastic accoutrement runs up the driver’s side A-pillar and is there for those times when one is fording deep water. You know, those times. However, being just inches away from the driver’s head, in these environs the snorkel mainly serves to make said driver (moi) look like a posing Oakvillian dork. I’ll show those pretenders in their Mercedes G-Wagons.
The first nice stretch of tarmac we find is Sideroad No 2, running west off of Appleby Line, a few kilometres north of the QEW. This tree-lined lane crosses a babbling brook and then emerges onto a lovely open stretch that connects to Walkers Line. The cliffs of Mt. Nemo dominate the view. We turned right on Walkers and then made a left on Britannia, which took us to Guelph Line. Heading a few kilometres north from there had us motoring through the appropriately-named Lowville (fab bistro on the right) and up to Crawford Lake Conservation Park.
Currently, Conservation Halton requires visitors to book a time in advance (easy to do online) with entrance fees being $6.50 for adults, and $5.00 for kids and seniors (under 4 gets in free). Or, if you plan on multiple visits, a one-year individual pass costs $62 (seniors $50.50, family $135).
A cool feature of Crawford Lake is the reconstructed 15th-century Iroquoian village. The three longhouses, with numerous artifacts and displays, give a fascinating glimpse of what life was like for First Nations peoples 600 years ago.
The heart of the park is Crawford Lake, which visitors can circle via a raised boardwalk, built to protect the delicate marshland. This small body of water, a meromictic lake, is unique in that its depth exceeds that of its surface area, meaning little oxygen reaches the lowest lowest levels. Here, deep in the sediment, researchers found ancient corn pollen, tied to the nearby First Nations settlement. No, there are no deep lake monsters that we are aware of, but along the Hide and Seek Trail that leads to the lake, you’ll see larger-than-life wooden carvings of local species at risk that look as though they might have just slithered up from the depths.
A hiking trail connects Crawford Lake to nearby Rattlesnake Point Conservation Area, but since Halton park visits are currently limited to two hours, that trail is closed. Taking the easy route, Claire and I jumped back in the Defender and meandered over to the Rattlesnake Point entrance that sits atop a very steep and winding section of Appleby Line that runs north off Derry Road. This appropriately snake-like stretch of road once hosted the Rattle Snake Hill Climb, a major event for sports car enthusiasts beginning in 1950, with Porsches being dominant from 1960-64. Below is multi-winner Horst Kroll in his Porsche 356 Speedster hanging it out on the then-all-gravel road (thank you to F. David Stone for the photo).
Our ascent was considerably less eventful, as we enjoyed this toughest of Land Rover’s surprisingly refined comportment and torquey turbocharged/supercharged 395-hp straight-six. Once in the park, we trekked a section of the Bruce Trail that offers fantastic vistas from the edge of a rocky escarpment.
After a day of hiking one can get a bit peckish, so our next stop was nearby Springridge Farm to see what treats awaited us. Owned by the Hughes family since 1960, Springridge gradually grew from a pick-your-own-cherries operation in the 1970s into a very popular local destination offering fresh local produce, children’s activities, knick-knacks, cookbooks, preserves, and devilishly scrumptious baked goods that draw on recipes from original owner Jane Hughes. In 2017, John, Laura, Amy and Tom Hughes were officially recognized as a “Canada 150 Farm Family”, receiving a certificate for their commitment to advancing agriculture in Halton Region.
With the Defender suitably loaded with tarts, apples and dill pickles (Claire will not buy pickles anywhere else) we pointed the Landie’s khaki snout south and headed back to the ‘burbs. Not surprisingly, the Defender turned heads everywhere we went, actually attracting a small crowd in the Rattlesnake Point parking lot.
We had a fantastic day of enjoying the local sights and supporting local industry, although for me it was a somewhat perilous adventure. Not because of the Rattle Snake Hill Climb or peering over those rocky precipices, but purely for the reason that Claire has been in love with the original not-for-sale-here Land Rover Defender for years (too much British murder mystery TV) and I feared the availability this fresh world-market edition with its Range Rover level of refinement would cause all kinds of problems. Yes, she really wants her own Defender, but thankfully she’ll do without the snorkel.
