2020 Land Rover Defender

2020 Land Rover Defender video

2020 Land Rover Defender Reveal and First Look -- Frankfurt Motor Show

MARK TAKAHASHI: The Land Rover Defender has enjoyed cult status in the US, mostly because of its incredible off-road capabilities. But also, it's been forbidden fruit for us. But that story has changed. It's coming to the US in full form. And this is it-- the only 2020 Land Rover Defender. The Land Rover Defender will come to the US in the spring of 2020, initially in 110, which is the long-wheelbase version. The 90, the two-door shorter wheelbase, will follow it to market in a few months. Prices will start between $50,000 and $80,000 depending on what model you get and which engines. Speaking of engines, you have two choices. The first base engine is a 2-liter turbocharged four cylinder that puts out 296 horsepower. The upgrade is called the P400. And that has a turbocharged V6 with an electric supercharger and a 48-volt mild-hybrid system. Both are made into an eight-speed automatic with permanent all-wheel drive. Before I get too deep into the Defender, do me a favor and hit Subscribe below. We have a ton of great content coming your way. This Defender is instantly recognizable as a Defender. It has all of the main traits that you expect-- the rounded headlights, the big square grille, and big uprights as well. The difference this time around, though-- it's a little softer. It's got rounded corners. It has these beautiful, integrated, flared-out wheel arches. And really, it might be a little too soft for my taste. I was expecting something a lot more burly and mean-looking. But considering that they have to appeal to a much broader audience nowadays, it does make perfect sense. That said, it probably still has all the capabilities of previous Defenders. The exterior theme for design carries over to the interior. As you can see on this door, it has body-painted elements, as well as these big, chunky torque bolts. Now, they also lend that industrial look. But they actually serve a function as well. They're not just there glued on. There's a lot of grab handles, which is great for a big off-road car like this. And they're all really beefy. They actually said that this whole dash piece here is one magnesium piece. And in a pinch, if you need to push this car, you can actually push it against these grab handles. In this particular trim, the X, we have this really rough hewn piece of wood here that's also a great grab handle. And across the entire dash, you have a lot of places to hold onto. And when you're off-roading, that's pretty key, especially if you're a passenger. You have a lot of what is latest from Land Rover as far as electronics-- touch screens, a virtual instrument panel. And almost everything is run through the touch screen now. We're not seeing any of the terrain response buttons that we're used to seeing anymore. That will clean up the design. But it might also complicate operation. You have a lot of options when it comes to passengers, too. The Defender 90 holds five people. But you can add a front-center jump seat right here that bumps it up to six. The Defender 110 starts out as a five-passenger. But you can push it to seven if you order the optional third row. There are a ton of storage options as well. You have big, deep pockets and bins and more bins and more pockets. And they're all really well-sized. You even have this huge tray here for your personal effects. And when you're out in the wild or even just on a road trip, all these storage options pay dividends. Under this bin, you can specify an option for a refrigerated box-- not a cold box, but an actual, legitimate refrigerated box-- that will keep things cool all day. Not surprisingly, with the boxy shape of the Defender, there is a ton of second-row space. I am not wanting for head, foot, or knee room at all. Adding to that space is the sense of airiness. You have three different roof choices-- a panoramic sunroof, regular roof. And the kicker for me is a retractable canvas roof. So you can go safari style. They're saying that it rolls back far enough where second-row passengers could just stand right up out of the roof. It's pretty cool. Also adding to the airiness is, they included the traditional alpine windows. These are these little cutouts here that just let light in. And that's especially helpful if you go with the third row option. If you opt for the five passenger Defender 110, you'll have over 15 cubic feet of cargo space behind those seats. You also get some great under-floor storage and this really good, almost modern take on diamond plate texture. And it's also carried out throughout the rest of the car. It's a nice design motif that lends ruggedness. But it's also a little more modern. Go with the air suspension, and you have height-adjustable load floors. And with the Defender 90, capacity will drop to right around 10 or 11 cubic feet. Another heritage design piece is the rear-mounted spare tire. Now, they mount it there for a number of reasons. One, well, it helps with departure angle. If you have it underneath, it's going to sacrifice that. And it's also going to bump into some of the mechanicals back there. If you mount it on the inside, well, then you're going to sacrifice cargo capacity. Overall, honestly, it just looks cool having a spare tire mounted back there. And that's good enough for me. Other design elements that tie it in with past Defenders is the tail. This abrupt chop-off is pure Defender, as are these industrial-looking square tail lights. Overall, though, I have to say, I think I like the back of the Defender a little better than the front. There is a lot to say about the Land Rover Defender, perhaps too much for this first-look video. We don't even have drive impressions, which should be coming in a few months. For more complete and up-to-date information on the Defender, as well as its competition, head on over to edmunds.com. To see more videos like this, hit Subscribe.

It's back in the USA! Say hello to the 2020 Land Rover Defender, revealed today at the Frankfurt Motor Show. In this video, Mark Takahashi takes a close look at the next generation of this iconic nameplate.