2020 Land Rover Defender First Impressions

After eagerly waiting to drive the all-new Land Rover Defender, the day had finally arrived, and to make it even more special, we were going to be taking it off-road! As part of the media drive that began in Dubai and saw us drive all the way to Hatta, we would be driving on highways, through wadis, and through the sand dunes to put the luxury SUV through its paces.

Drive

At first glance, the comfort of the all-new model is what gets you. The ride is supple, and it feels as well put together and composed as a Range Rover. The 3.0-liter supercharged powerplant chucks out 400 horsepower and 550 Nm of torque, making it immensely powerful and able to hit 100km/h in 6.1-seconds and a top speed of 208km/h – neither of which were remotely possible in the older model.

Be it on the sand dunes or the rocky wadis, the new Defender proved itself to be a true Defender at heart. Sure, it’s more luxurious with features such as air suspension, more expensive, and has a lot more comfort, but the ease with which it sailed through the sand on a hot summer’s day and climbed up every rockface thrown at it, it proved it’s still a rugged SUV at heart.

Interior

Inside, the design of the older model has been retained, especially with the iconic A/C vents that look like they’ve ben placed on top of the dashboard rather than into it. The overall quality is leaps and bounds better with a constructed foam and great plastics covering a large part of the cabin. A point of debate, the plastic on the door panels and center console does make cleaning up after an epic adventure a lot easier, although it might not be what all luxury buyers are looking for.

In terms of tech, the team has not skimped either. There is everything from lane-keeping assist to cruise control and a speed limiter, to blind-spot monitoring, a cool box, and a sizeable infotainment screen. Quite frankly, it is just as well equipped as any other Land Rover product and that catapults the Defender into a whole new segment.

Exterior

While the design has and probably will be a controversial point for many years to come, it is different. Some say it is an acquired taste and I would have to agree. But on the whole, it is very different to all other Land Rover products and that helps it stand out on the road. The way the headlights and taillights are integrated into the body are also rather futuristic and a nice touch to the overall design.

Verdict

With a starting price of AED 209,055 soaring up to AED 300,510 for the full-option model in the UAE, the all-new Defender is a fair bit more expensive than the model it replaces. The bigger issue, however, is that in the past the Defender stood out like a sore thumb in the brand’s line-up targeting a very different clientele to the brand’s luxury buyers. That is no longer the case as the Defender is equally good an SUV as the Discovery with the same number of seats. Will one stand in the way of the other’s success? Only time will tell… If you are in the market for car insurance, do check out the highest-rated insurance provider in the region, InsuranceMarket.ae™.