What's this new car all about then?
Has it been five years already? It’s time for a Land Rover Defender refresh, although this is a very subtle one indeed.
Can’t see much change? To be honest, us either. But get your specs on, because there are new headlights and tailights; same basic shapes but darker/smoother surrounds, and a more organic LED light signature. You notice the rear lamps more, because the slightly fussy faux-grilles above and below the main lights have gone, replaced by a smooth surface. No, really. Look carefully.
The Land Rover badge on the new gloss-black grille bar has also done dark, while there’s a new textured pattern on the bonnet inserts and side vents.
Inside, the infotainment screen has upsized from 11.4 to 13.1 inches, while the centre console offers a more versatile range of storage options.
A Driver Attention Monitor can now be added as an option; it monitors the driver’s face and warns of distraction (it can still be adjusted or disabled via the infotainment screen).
There are a couple of quite swish new colours. Woolstone Green is inspired by the Woolstone waterfall in the UK (Oxfordshire), displaying different shades depending on the light. Barasco Grey references a silver mine in California, with a muted hue enhanced by small flecks of silver in the finish.
Like we said, subtle changes. You could argue the Defender doesn’t really need ’em anyway. It’s going gangbusters in New Zealand, with sales up 53% year-to-date.
“Despite the economic headwinds, Defender has continued to be one of NZ’s automotive success stories,” says Jaguar Land Rover NZ general manager Ben Montgomery.
How much is it?
We won’t go too much into the fine detail of models and pricing, simply because there’s a limit to the space we have. The Defender lineup is still fairly comprehensive for NZ, with the short-wheelbase 90, the mainstream 110 and the extended 130 all with a variety of powertrains and specification levels.
The entry Defender 90 D250 S starts at $130,000. The 110 D350 is the most popular model and starts at $152,900, while the 130 opens at $174,900.
The Land Rover NZ-curated 425 Edition, which pairs the classic 5.0-litre V8 engine with a few choice off-road-themed accessories, continues across all three body shapes at $184,900-$199,900.
But it’s the highly specialised Octa that still tops the range by a very long way… only available as a 110, at a start price of $314,900.
What's it like to drive?
Customer experiences are a key part of the Land Rover proposition in NZ. The brand’s dealers have run over 40 regional adventure-type drives this year alone, and Montgomery says head office is bringing back the Defender Journey programme: “It’s a 2-3 day tour, normally in the South Island, to areas you wouldn’t normally have access to.
“With the professional team at Downforce [driver training], you get to drive on and off-road in a very special environment and make the most of NZ.”
With that in mind, the media launch for the refreshed Defender was a bit of off-road convoy work in the Tahorakuri Forest area, off the Napier-Taupo Highway. We had 90s and 110s to drive in diesel and V8 petrol formats, plus the Octa super-off-road model in the mix - albeit in previous-generation guise, with the upgrades on the way for that model next year. No matter, always nice to have the $300k monster along for the ride.
The idea was a lovely off-tarmac among the scenery, punctuated by curated 4x4 obstacles to show just how capable and effortless these things are.
Yep, the course was carefully chosen and checked, as they always are. But there’s no denying the phenomenal 4x4 ability of these things, which may be a favourite for the posh city suburbs, but are still designed and built to tackle the toughest terrain.
A standard Defender is smooth in itself, but it was also illuminating to switch back and forth into the Octa, with its highly sophisticated cross-linked “6D” suspension setup. It’s on another level… as it should be for the price. And remember it’s the only Defender to have the new BMW-sourced 4.4-litre twin-turbo V8 engine, compared to the classic supercharged 5.0-litre in the other Defender V8s.
What’s the pick of the range?
Good question. They’re all luxurious and highly capable. Let’s take the Octa out of the equation, because it’s a whole other thing. And a six-figure sum of money more than most other Defenders.
The 110 D350 is the most popular model in NZ, but we have a soft spot for the 425 Edition, which you can have as a 90, 110 or 130.
It’s a particular specification created by Land Rover NZ that pairs the much-loved 5.0-litre supercharged V8 - which won’t be with us much longer, remember - with some tasteful 4x4-themed accessories such as big mudflaps, side steps, exposed recovery hooks and extra-rubbery trim inside. It’s a little bit of the Octa vibe for $125k less.
What other cars should I consider?
Big SUVs with lots of luxury and proper 4x4 ability and heritage? You can’t ignore the Mercedes G-Class ($213,900-$344,900), including the pure-electric G580 model.
You also can’t ignore the Ineos Grenadier, which is a newcomer but takes most of its inspiration from the previous Defender and any G-Class; that’s $120,000-$134,500 for the Station Wagon version.
We’d also throw the Toyota Land Cruiser 300 in there. Not a luxury brand, but you cannot argue with the heritage/cred and there’s even a fancy GR Sport version ($139,990-$159,990).
