The old Land Rover Defender — last sold back in the 1990s — was a primal SUV. The thing didn't even have carpet.
What it did have was cachet. There was something special about driving what you saw the safari guys on TV driving.
It could go through — and over — practically anything.
There's nothing else like it.
Well, nothing new.
You had to go back to the '70s to find a similarly primal car with four-wheel drive — something like an old Ford Bronco, International Harvester Scout or Jeep CJ.
Now the Defender's back — this time, with carpet.
What It Is
The Defender is a legend. The star of off-road endurance races. The original came with nothing that wasn't essential to being unstoppable.
Not even carpet. Or power.
Its V-8 engine made less power than the new Defender's standard four-cylinder — and less than half as much as the new Defender's optional V-6.
Plus, you get carpet.
And your choice of two body styles — and lengths. The short-wheelbase, two-door Defender 90 and the long-wheelbase, four-door Defender 110.
Both come with full-time four-wheel drive, a two-speed transfer case and almost 9 inches of ground clearance — just like the original. They also come standard with a 10-inch touch screen and a stereo with both Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.
Prices start at $49,900 for the base trim 110 — which is less than Land Rover charged back in 1997 (adjusted for inflation) for a Defender without carpet.
A top-of-the-line 110 X with a V-6/hybrid powertrain, panorama sunroof and heated rear seats stickers for $80,900.
Prices for the two-door Defender 90 — which will be available this summer — should roughly parallel those of the 110.
What's New
The Defender returns to the U.S. after an absence of almost 25 years.
What's Good
It's as capable as the original.
It's much more livable than the original.
It costs less than the original.
What's Not So Good.
It's much less primal than the original.
It's turbocharged engine is under more pressure than the original.
There's only 20.5 inches of legroom in the 110's optional third row.
Under the Hood
The original Land Rover had the cachet of an aluminum V-8 engine — a rare thing back in the '90s. But it was an ancient — and weak — V-8.
It was an ancient General Motors V-8, actually. Land Rover bought the rights to the small 3.9-liter V-8 that GM designed back in the early 1960s and used it in the '90s Defender. It made all of 182 horsepower - sad for a V-8 and desperately inadequate in the 4,000-plus-pound four-wheel-drive SUV. The last Defender was slower than a current Prius — and five times as thirsty.
You were lucky if you got 13 mpg on the highway.
The new Defender comes standard with an engine half the size of the original's — a 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder — that makes 296 horsepower. An optionally available 3.0-liter V-6 turbocharged hybrid drivetrain ups that to 395 horsepower and uses half the fuel.
It's not a Prius, of course — but it can move (for short distances) without using any gas at all.
And it gets to 60 mph in half the time it took the old Defender.
On the Road
The old Defender was great for camping and off-roading — and terrible everywhere else. It was slow, thirsty, drafty and tipsy. Driving one on road took more skill and concentration than driving the new one off-road.
If you weren't careful, it was easy to get into trouble.
The new Defender is no less capable off-road — and may be even more so because of its electronic driving assists, which didn't exist back in the '90s.
But it's also comfortable on road — because it isn't tipsy, drafty or wheezy.
At the Curb
One of the neat things about the new Defender is the multiplicity of body styles — two-door or four-door — as well as seating configurations. The 110 is available with a third row — expanding its seating capacity to seven.
In theory, at least.
Legroom in the Defender's third row is just over 20 inches — less than in the back seat of a Chevy Camaro. But you can make more room by sliding the second row forward a bit — and even if you don't, the third row gives people in the second row a place to put their stuff.
The Defender also comes with a full-size spare tire.
Most new vehicles — including many SUVs — come with a mini spare that's designed to let you limp to the closest tire store. The Defender's spare is the same as the other four — so you can keep on going, wherever you were headed.
The Rest
The old Defender was slow but primal — because it was mostly mechanical. Almost anything that ailed it could be dealt with in the field — literally — using basic hand tools. Which was good, because the original was notorious for needing frequent fixing.
The new Defender is not simple because it is very electronic. If something ails it, you'll need a dealer.
On the upside, it's less likely to need fixing ...
The Bottom Line
It has rock-crawling capability ... with carpet!
Because it's not 1997 anymore.
Eric's new book, "Don't Get Taken for a Ride!" is available now. To find out more about Eric and read his past columns, please visit the Creators Syndicate webpage at www.creators.com.
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