Land Rover has unveiled the new 2020 Defender at the Frankfurt Motor Show.
It’s been a few years since the last Defender finally shuffled off its mortal coil back in 2016. Since then we’ve been catching glimpses of what Land Rover has in store for their reborn Defender, but now we get the full reveal courtesy of the Frankfurt Motor Show.
The new 2020 Defender rides on brand new D7x architecture and will come in two forms. The 110 is a 5-door, 5+2 seating SUV, while the Defender 90 will be a 3-door and seat 6. Land Rover only revealed the 110 to start, but the 90 will arrive sometime later in 2020.
An assortment of engines is available, including a 2.0-L 4-cylinder turbodiesel with 196 hp, a 2.0-L turbo 4-cylinder gas engine with 296 hp, and a 3.0-L turbo 6-cylinder mild hybrid with a combined 395 hp. A plug-in hybrid version will arrive in 2020 with an all-electric range. All are mated to an 8-speed automatic transmission with all-wheel drive, a 2-speed transfer case, a manually locking center differential, and an auto-locking rear differential.
Air suspension is an optional extra but will provide the Defender with a comfortable ride both on and off road. For off-road fun, Land Rover provides the Defender with its Terrain Response 2 technology which automatically adjusts the car's ride depending on the terrain.
With the potent 3.0-L engine installed, the Defender can tow 8,200 lbs, has a maximum payload of 1,984 lbs, and a maximum roof payload of 661 lbs. That's an important number to note as the Defender comes with an available roof tent and roof rack system.
On the inside, the Defender revamps the interior with a brand new Pivi Pro 10-inch infotainment mounted high on the dashboard. This screen handles navigation as well, while the car's built-in wifi accepts over-the-air updates from Land Rover.
But to compete with Jeep, the Defender has to accessorize. At launch, the Defender will have 170 different accessories and four accessory packs, including Explorer, Adventure, Country, and Urban.
In the Explorer Pack, the Defender adds a raised air intake, roof rack, and side gear carriers. The Adventure Pack adds a 1.7-gallon water reservoir with shower attachment as well as an air compressor and side gear carriers. The Country pack adds an interior storage partition and rinse system to make cleaning your gear easier.
The Urban Pack doesn't really add any of these rugged accessories and just focuses on making the Defender look nice.
The Land Rover Defender 110 arrives in spring of 2020 with a starting price of $49,990.