Land Rover Defender: carsales Car of the Year 2020 contender
Land Rover’s iconic Defender has been reimagined, thoroughly redefined... but is it good enough to be Car of the Year?
Why is the Land Rover Defender a carsales COTY contender?
The all-new Land Rover Defender builds on more than 70 years of off-road expedition and 4x4 tradition.
An icon completely reimagined, the new Land Rover Defender brings improved levels of refinement and off-road capability.
Transforming its agricultural heritage, this more glamorous off-roader is set to lure a new generation of buyers. It has the makings to be a lot of things to a lot of people.
Traditionalists might struggle with the new direction, but we think it’s the best Defender yet.
Who will the Land Rover Defender appeal to?
The answer is a two Chef Hats restaurant full of people who never before would have considered Land Rover’s utilitarian legend. Why? Because now, it’s so much more.
Much like the Land Rover Discovery did with its fifth-generation rebirth in 2017 – a vehicle that subsequently took carsales Car of the Year honours that same year – the new Defender is better in every way.
Notwithstanding the Defender’s wholesale redesign and seating configurations for five, six or seven passengers, it remains a workhorse at heart with Land Rover’s Terrain Response 4x4 system consisting of six off-road settings making light work of gnarly roads, while generous approach (38deg) and departure (43deg) angles are joined by an improved 900mm wading depth.
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It also has a 3500kg braked towing capacity – all of which you can manage from the comfort of your grained leather electric-adjust seat.
In September, just a month after the Defender’s Aussie launch, the British 4x4 specialist announced an upgraded 2021 model year line-up ahead of its arrival here in February next year.
As well as heralding the long-awaited addition of the short-wheelbase Defender 90 two-door, the big news with MY21 is the addition of two new engines: an entry-level 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbo-petrol and a brand-new 3.0-litre six-cylinder turbo-diesel (which replaces the smaller four-cylinder oilers).
How much does the Land Rover Defender cost?
At launch, the Land Rover Defender range comprised nine variants across three powertrains, starting at $69,626 plus on-road costs for the D200 with a 147kW 2.0-litre four-cylinder diesel and rising to $75,536 for the D240 which uses a 177kW version of the same engine (both produce 430Nm).
The P400 petrol kicks in at $95,335, boasting a 294kW/550Nm 3.0-litre six-cylinder turbo-petrol with mild-hybrid electric vehicle (MHEV) tech.
Familiar model grades at launch that will carry over into MY21 include S, SE, HSE and top-shelf X. The range will comprise 11 variants across four powertrains. In addition to P400, these are the new entry-level P300 petrol (221kW/400Nm) and D250 and D300 six-cylinder diesels rated at 183kW/570Nm and 220kW/650Nm respectively.
What have we already said about the Land Rover Defender?
At the end of his launch drive, carsales news editor Sam Charlwood declared: “It’s clear that the new Defender is tangibly better than the vehicle it replaces in every single area.
“This is the brave new guard for the Defender. Yes it’s different, yes it’s new, yes it’s a slightly different path but the fact is that it future proofs this nameplate for decades to come and that’s something we can all be happy about.”
SUVs are broadly represented in the carsales Car of the Year for 2020, proudly presented by Bingle, but few can boast the success and longevity of the Defender nameplate.
Land Rover Defender 110 D240 at a glance:
Price: From $75,536
Engine: 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbo-diesel
Output: 177kW/430Nm
Transmission: Eight-speed automatic
Fuel: 7.6L/100km (ADR Combined)
CO2: 202g/km (ADR Combined)
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