This new Defender is even more expensive than a Range Rover Velar.
The automotive social media channels have been buzzing with negative comments about the USD50,000 plus starting price for the all new Land Rover Defender since its first showing last year. In the early days of the all new Defender introduction in England, there was a lot of buzz about how advanced it was going to be and so some predicted a selling price of just below the already selling in the market Range Rover Velar.
It has to be note that this all new Defender arrives after almost 70 odd years of the previous Defender (production ended in 2016) being in production with minimal updates done to its engine, suspension and gearbox. This is why aftermarket tuners offered ‘easy to live with’ classic Defenders with new generation engines mated to an automatic gearbox at prices like USD50.000 to USD90,000.
Then there are tuners like ARES Design that will sell you a classic Defender for RM1 Million or Kahn Design with their Flying Huntsman version for RM1.36 Million.
So, this all new Defender seems like better value now because it comes out of a modern industrialized factory in Nitra, Slovakia and is packed with complex engineering.
Land Rover calls this new platform D7X and it is conceptually related to the other aluminium JLR vehicles, but 90-plus per cent of the parts used in this 2021 Defender are new.
Since its birth in 1948, the legendary Land Rover Series I, later becoming the Defender, has earned the status of the ultimate off-roader and the go-to vehicle for the military, explorers and farmers thanks to their go-anywhere capability.
The great thing about the previous Land Rover Defender was that it had one of the most rugged interiors you could find in a luxury SUV, perfect for those who like to get a little dirty countryside.
The new Land Rover Defender, on the other hand, is just as capable off-road (actually very much better with its Air Suspension system) but also gives you premium wood trim and stitching that sets this SUV apart from others in the luxury segment.
The last batch of the old Defender competed more with vehicles like the early model ISUZU MU-X, Toyota Fortuner and Mitsubishi Pajero.
Now, this new Defender competes directly with the Toyota Land Cruiser 300, BMW X5, Porsche Cayenne, Mercedes GLE, Audi Q8 and even in some areas with its sibling, the Range Rover Velar.
Well, to be honest, we feel a true rival will be the iconic 42 year old Mercedes-Benz G-Wagon. Both classic iconic nameplates and with global appeal till today.
Yes, we can hear the screams coming from Range Rover Velar owners about this unfair comparison, however, before you scream, take a look inside this new Defender and show us how different is the leather, plastic, wood trim and carpet used inside the cabin?
This, even before we start looking under the hood and under the vehicle at its awesome new technology.
