(September 20, 2020) MAHWAH, N.J. — The Land Rover Defender has been reimagined for the 21st Century. Driven by a passion and respect for the original, the New Defender delivers transformational breadth of capability. Advanced all-terrain technologies redefine adventure while remaining true to the pioneering spirit that has been a Land Rover hallmark for over 70 years.

Beside the peerless luxury and refinement of the Range Rover family, and the highly capable and versatile Discovery SUVs, the New Defender completes the Land Rover dynasty.

The 2021 Land Rover Defender is available in 90 and 110 body designs, with up to six seats available in the 90 and the option of five, six or 5+2 seating in the 110.

At launch, the model range comprised the Defender, First Edition and top-of-the-range Defender X models. New for 2021 Model Year is the Defender X-Dynamic, bridging the gap between Defender and Defender X with a tough exterior look and unique interior fittings to set it apart from the rest of the lineup. The Defender X-Dynamic can be enhanced further with a choice of S, SE and HSE Specification Packs.

Land Rover has defined all-terrain capability and toughness from the conception of its very first 4x4. The Series and Defender models before it have gone above and beyond for decades, securing iconic status for their ability to help people make more of their world. The New Defender takes these much loved characteristics and reimagines them.

With its distinctive silhouette and optimum proportions, the New Defender has toughness at its core while its interior’s rugged modular architecture embraces the spirit of adventure that has been a fundamental part of Land Rover DNA for more than 70 years.

Gerry McGovern, chief design officer, Land Rover, said,“The New Defender is respectful of its past but is not harnessed by it. This is a new Defender for a New Age. Its unique personality is accentuated by its distinctive silhouette and optimum proportions, which make it both highly desirable and seriously capable – a visually compelling 4x4 that wears its design and engineering integrity with uncompromised commitment.”

Land Rover has developed a curated exterior palette with unique colors just for the New Defender. A lot of body work is exposed in the interior — so the color palettes are modular between interior and exterior.

On the X derivative, the gloss black inset contrast hood is standard along with Gloss Black claddings. To give further differentiation between the X and Core vehicles, the front and rear skid pans and other detailed exterior parts are coated in a Starlight Satin finish. To perfectly bridge the gap between the two, the Defender X-Dynamic blends gloss painted Narvik Black exterior door and wheel arch cladding with Silicon Satin skid pans.

The constructivist modular interior architecture of the Defender communicates its highly functional nature, underpinned by its practical layout and reductive design.

Alan Sheppard, director, Interior Design, Land Rover, said, “Within, we strived to harness the Defender vehicle’s profound spirit of boundless adventure. A comfortable interior which is at once impeccably handsome for the discerning, shrewd in functionality and prudently qualified in anticipation of any adversity.”

HSE models feature high grade Windsor Leather, while the Defender X features Windsor Leather in combination with Steelcut Premium Textile accent for enhanced durability. This premium textile from Kvadrat is a 30 percent wool blend and is also available as a full alternative to the leather upholstery paired with Miko Suedecloth.

The new Defender X-Dynamic features unique interior materials that confirm its place between core Defender models and the X. Highly durable Robustec material is found on the seat ribbons and Console Finisher. Robustec is a protective and hard-wearing material inspired by textiles used in extreme outdoor activities, and is used inside the Defender on areas that are subject to heightened wear. The Robustec accents feature in the same selection of color-ways available across S, SE and HSE models.

Amy Frascella, director, Color and Materials, Land Rover, said, “Essentially a tool — obtaining this balance of tactility, softness and durability was key to create a modern premium aesthetic for both the interior and exterior materials. We have enabled innovation of materials by creating new approaches to development, challenging conventions of traditional methods of make and modifying existing technologies.”

Customers can choose between a turbocharged four-cylinder P300 engine and an efficient six-cylinder P400 Mild-Hybrid (MHEV) powertrain.

The inline six-cylinder Ingenium gasoline engine, with MHEV technology, features both a conventional twin-scroll turbocharger and an advanced 48-volt electric supercharger, with a belt-integrated starter motor in place of the alternator to assist the gasoline engine, and a 48-volt lithium-ion battery to store energy captured as the vehicle slows down. All engines drive through a smooth and responsive eight-speed ZF automatic gearbox and twin-speed transfer case, to provide a set of low-range ratios essential for towing or off-road driving when more control is required.

Land Rover has introduced a series of technologies to help deliver the capability customers expect from a Defender vehicle, including the latest generation of its patented Terrain Response system. Configurable Terrain Response technology allows drivers to use the touchscreen of the new Pivi Pro infotainment to suit its precise surroundings.

In the original Defender, drivers could lock the central differential manually using the high-to-low range gear selector. In the New Defender, drivers can prevent cross-axle slip using the Center Slip Limited and Center and Rear Slip Limited options on the central touchscreen controller. In addition, there is a choice of three settings for the throttle and gearbox response, steering and traction control, allowing experienced off-roaders and all-terrain novices to tailor the vehicle set-up to suit their requirements. The system allows four individual profiles to be saved, so different drivers can quickly activate their preferred settings.

Alternatively, the intelligent Auto functionality of Terrain Response can recognize the surface and configure the vehicle appropriately without input from the driver.

The Defender is also the first Land Rover vehicle to feature a Wade program within theTerrain Response menu. The new setting automatically softens the throttle response, sets the heating and ventilation to recirculate cabin air, locks the driveline and adjusts the ride height to its off-road setting while activating the Wade Sensing screen on the infotainment system. This allows drivers to see the depth of surrounding water and provides confidence when fording  – allowing drivers to take full advantage of the world-class maximum wading depth of 35.4 inches.

The strong body architecture of the New Defender helps customers make more of their world, whether they want to tow heavy loads or carry them, with a comprehensive range of roof racks and tow bar systems, and a maximum towing capacity of 8,201 pounds State-of-the-art technologies include available Advanced Tow Assist, which takes the stress out of difficult reversing maneuvers by letting drivers steer trailers with their fingertips using a rotary controller on the central console. New for the Defender, the intelligent setup works with 3D visualization on the central touchscreen.