We all know Land Rover’s popularity soared to great heights thanks to the Range Rover. However, before the ultimate in luxury was conceptualized, the brand had another rugged yet dependable offering. This was, however, a utilitarian made during times of disconcert and sacrifice.
Land Rover had a passionate following thanks to building military-spec machines that could survive a decent beating. The interest largely stemmed from the Series I, II, III Land Rovers, which later made way to the Defender.
After a decade-long hiatus, the Defender marks its entry into the United States. The last time a Defender received a major redesign was in 1983, so the overhaul meant a huge deal to loyal enthusiasts.
While Defenders of the past were nowhere near as plush as the Ranger Rover, the modern ones, however, have a different story to tell.
This time, the Defender is a far more luxurious offering as opposed to its ‘90s brethren. In its most modern guise, one could say the Defender is a toned-down Range Rover with equally good, if not better, off-roadability.
How Did The Defender Come About?
The Defender or previously, simply Land Rover was a military utility vehicle commissioned for the King’s men at battle. Thanks to its robust nature and astonishing breadth of abilities, the Land Rover saw a huge reception when civilians were given the choice. Contrary to popular belief, the Series I didn’t quite play a role in the second world war. The reason was largely credited to the British Army’s slow decision-making skills.
By the time they realized the need for homegrown utilitarians, either the war was at its end or they had to persistently comply with changing government regulations. This led to an even lengthier design period and saw the first batch of battle-ready units become the Austin Champ.
Meanwhile, Rover who was used to building luxury vehicles at the time had to improvise. Their plant was shot down during the war and the post-war economy really did not favor anything glamorous. They resorted to manufacturing agricultural utility vehicles inspired by the Jeep Willys. Funnily enough, the prototypes used a Rover-built powertrain whilst underpinnings were entirely from the Willys.
In contrast to the Champ, the Land Rover was better at fuel efficiency, cheaper and lighter. Because the British Army saw monetary gains in employing Land Rovers over Champs, they decided not to renew Austin’s contract but continued with Land Rovers. During the late ’80s, the Land Rover officially became Defender prior to its post-1983 Land Rover “90” and “110” moniker.
2019 Marks The Beginning Of A New Era
The modern Defender L663 came as part of a new initiative to revive an icon. Because of their rich heritage, Land Rover decided to seek funding from JLR for the idea of a reimagined Defender. The prospect saw a positive response and the team started working on it.
In order to sell nostalgia, JLR had to design the Defender with retro cues in mind. Also, important were the utilitarian capabilities and off-road performance. The formula turned out to be great as the “new” Defender was an instant hit.
Much like its predecessor, the L663 came in two models, 90 and 110, signifying their respective wheelbases. JLR campaigned the Defender heavily with impressive advertisements highlighting the off-road prowess of the new and improved utilitarian.
The new Defender meant business. Unlike its unreliable predecessors, the L663 had undergone better manufacturing and improved quality checks.
Quite frankly, motoring journalists around the globe praised the Defender for delivering what Land Rovers were known for in a modern package. Despite slightly hefty price tags, people saw the need for a Defender and soon started to choke dealerships worldwide.
The Agricultural Design Bids Farewell
Though the new Defender could easily play along as a farmer’s companion, it’s grown quite a lot: both dimensionally and otherwise. So, in order to place the new Defender, Land Rover decided to opt for a hybrid approach. Meaning, the design is functional whilst being reasonably opulent.
Go for the higher trims and the Defender is quite a stunner. With plush interiors, akin to the Discovery, it’s quite a step ahead in contrast to the agricultural design of yesteryears.
The 2021 Land Rover Defender comes with individual specifications for buyers to choose from. Much like how the SV division takes care of bespoke designs, the service is available for the Defender as well, in case you fancy ticking all the boxes and then some.
Land Rover has infused some of the important bits from the Range Rover whilst staying true to its roots. Just because the new Defender wears Prada, doesn’t mean it hesitates to get its hands dirty. The new Defender is capable of wading 35 inches of water thanks to a full-time 4 wheel drive system with torque vectoring and four-wheel independent suspension.
Sources: Land Rover, Caranddriver, Winwaed, YouTube