2021 Land Rover Defender 110 SUV

The all-new 2021 Land Rover Defender 110 is the 4-door variant and has the task of making the name great again while competing with the likes of the Ford Bronco, the Toyota 4Runner, and the Jeep Wrangler. It falls in a price range that extends from $50,500 for its base variant and goes up to $83,000 for its top-rack variant. Continue with the article to know how the 2021 Defender 110 defends itself in the segment.

The 2021 Land Rover Defender 110 is available in a total of six trims that cover a wide spectrum of needs of an individual, starting from $50,500 for the 110 AWD and culminating at a rather high $62,700 for the 110 SE. The X and X-Dynamic variants of the Defender will be reviewed in a separate article. The base trim is pretty well equipped with features like air suspension, LED headlights, and power-adjustable front seats to offer, while the amenities increase as one climbs up the trim ladder. A trim-wise summary of what all is on offer is tabulated below:

The base trim is densely equipped with all the necessary features, and also makes it the choice to take off-road. To add to this, the manufacturer also offers options like Towing Pack and Family Pack that add features like third-row seats, extra off-road drive modes, three-zone climate control, electronic towing assist, tow hitch, and front jump seats to the mix. 

Which trim should you buy?

The 2021 Land Rover Defender 110 SE makes the most sense in the line-up due to all the features it adds on top of the already densely equipped base trim, as well as the options that it gives to the buyer by way of features and options without adding the bloat of the higher X-Dynamic or the X trim. While at it, we also recommend equipping the 110 SE with the Advanced Off-Road Capability Pack and the Family Pack Plus. The latter should be added only and only if you want to seat kids in the third row. 

The 2021 Land Rover Defender 110 has two power plants on offer, which are distinguished by two nomenclatures, wherein P300 signifies the base engine which is a turbocharged 2.0L Inline-4 pumping out 296 horsepower and 295 lb-ft of torque, while P400 signifies the bigger powerplant on offer - a turbocharged 3.0L Inline-6 which is paired to an electric motor and bumps up the output to 395 hp and 406 lb-ft of torque. The base engine is paired to an 8-speed automatic ZF-unit (8HP45) gearbox, while the bigger engine is paired to an upgraded variant of the 8-speed automatic transmission (8HP76). All-Wheel Drive is the standard powertrain available on the 110. 

The base engine is quick to respond to inputs, but given the sheer size of the SUV, it cannot deliver performance no matter how hard it tries to. On the contrary, the bigger Inline-6 is a better deal in terms of performance and also in terms of overall smoothness. Both the engines perform similarly in the city, but the mettle of the Inline-4 is tested on the highway where the acceleration remains subpar and the engagement is rather low. The off-road, you ask? Take the model with the Inline-6. 

The more feature-loaded and luxury-oriented Defender 110 does cost a lot when compared to the rivals, but at the same time, is more capable of an off-roader and projects a lot of balance between off-road capability and on-road mannerisms. The Bronco does lead the torque game, but the acceleration figures are unknown, whereas the Wrangler proves to be the quickest off the line despite being short on power.

How well does the 2021 Land Rover Defender 110 handle?

Off the line, the base engine is rather sluggish, but the bigger engine does manage times close to the 7-second mark in the 0-60 mph. That being said, the smaller engine is a rather nice unit in the city. The power is on-point, and there’s no stress displayed from it. The standard air suspension soaks up the bumps very well and feels very floaty in a good way. The steering is super light as well and is very easy when it comes to maneuvering around the city. Talking of maneuverability, the visibility out the front is tremendous, and due to the huge door mirrors, everything behind is visible clearly. The same cannot be said about the rear windshield due to the tire protruding out and blocking the lower part of the window.

The only downside is the electrically-assisted brakes, which apply very hard if not used to. On the highway, the driving experience becomes much better and is a monumental change from how Land Rovers are perceived to be. The new Defender feels like an all-in luxurious vehicle with the lavish interior hugging the occupants and also due to the smooth power delivery. There is a bit of tire noise from the dual-purpose tires, but when switched to road tires, the noise is gone. The downshifts are quick and the gear shifts feel like a hot knife through butter. 

Braking Performance

As important as the performance on the Defender 110, the brakes do act as a very good anchor to avoid any mishaps. The braking duties are handled by 13.7-inch rotors at the front and 12.8-inch rotors at the rear, which are further assisted by all the modern braking tech that exists in the market. The brake pedals are a little too catchy for someone who isn’t used to but does their job well. The SUV takes 204 feet to reach a halt from 70 mph.

The Defender’s brakes are catchy and aggressive, but as compared to the rivals, they don’t perform as well despite having the biggest rotor combination of all. This can be partly attributed to the massive curb weight it carries over the others. The Bronco’s numbers aren’t known as of now but will be updated as soon as it is tested.

The smaller engine on the Defender 110 might not be the most powerful off-the-line, but the smaller capacity does aid in the fuel economy of the SUV. The EPA estimates that the turbocharged Inline-4 can easily do 17 MPG in the city and 20 MPG on the highway for a combined of 18 MPG from its 23.8-gallon fuel tank. 

The bigger Inline-6 is aided by an electric motor which also helps in maintaining and bettering the fuel economy similar to the smaller Inline-4. The EPA estimates for the Inline-6 are 17 MPG in the city and 22 MPG on the highway for a combined total of 19 MPG from the same 23.8-gallon fuel tank. 

The Bronco’s turbocharged mill’s acceleration figures aren’t out yet, but it does seem to be a must-buy for the people who need fuel economy in the city. Apart from that, the Inline-4 on the Defender does provide a better range on the highway and can be safely taken for a long weekend getaway. Despite having a smaller fuel tank, the Ford Bronco offers the best-in-class range of 436 miles combined.

The 2021 Land Rover Defender 110 is a luxury-focused SUV, but given the Land Rover heritage, the Defender also carries on the ruggedness that one expects. The door panels have a neoprene material to cover the top of the panel, while the armrest is soft, and there is silver trim around the lock/unlock switch. One nice touch inside is the exposed screws that contribute to the rugged feel inside. The dashboard is curved inwards and has ‘DEFENDER’ stamped on the back. This carved-in design forms a tray that can easily hold a couple of Snickers and a mobile phone, which can be charged via the USB port in the dashboard. The top of the dashboard is covered in soft-touch material and looks like a grab handle for easier ingress. The center console houses control for the AC, the gear lever, and the various USB ports on offer.

The seats are extremely comfortable and can be had in cloth upholstery on the base trim. Leather is on offer from the S trim onwards. Irrespective of the material, the seats are super comfy for long drives, also due to the power adjustability and the convenience on offer by way of heating and ventilation on the higher trims. The rear seats have a lot of room for the occupants, and the cabin adds to the roominess as well. The roof is flat and contributes a lot to the headroom despite the sunroof on offer (for the higher trims). The back of the front seats is made of leather and house USB ports for easy access. Talking of convenience, the rear-seat passengers have AC vents along with the controls for the same and two 12V sockets along with 2 USB sockets as well.

The boxy shape of the Defender does make it a very roomy vehicle with class-leading shoulder room on offer, but when it comes to the headroom, the Wrangler edges away from the top position with 5% more on offer. The 4Runner will hold the most equipment when it comes to off-roading due to the massive boot space, which is nearly 40% more than the Defender. Speaking of all this, some of the most highlighting interior features are:

• Power-adjustable front seats
• Leather-wrapped heated steering wheel
• Premium leather upholstery
• Heated and ventilated front seats
• Heated second-row seats
• Panoramic sunroof
• Head-up display

What’s there to keep you entertained?

The 2021 Land Rover Defender 110 comes equipped with a 10-inch touchscreen unit that the manufacturer calls Pivi Pro and is equipped throughout the Jaguar-Land Rover range. The layout now has three pillars, which are surrounded by shortcuts - all accessing different features of the system. The in-built navigation is very quick to respond to inputs and is buttery smooth to operate as well. 

In terms of connectivity, the system has Bluetooth as standard along with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto to seamlessly integrate a smartphone into the system. The smartphone mirroring is a little laggy and takes a bit more time to load, but works as smooth as the navigation when loaded fully. To make things less distracting, voice recognition has been greatly improved and now catches words more precisely. Some of the most highlighting features of this system are:

• 10-inch Pivi Pro infotainment system
• Navigation
• Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity
• Bluetooth
• Voice controls
• Multiple USB points
• 15-speaker Meridien Premium sound system 

The 2021 Land Rover Defender 110 sits on an all-new D7x platform and doesn’t share any panel from any other model in the range. Talking of the face, it is a massive take-off from LR’s radical design language. The Defender has more curves and smoother shapesbut still maintains the nostalgia of the older model. The bumper houses actual and functional vents that are tucked in neatly behind the silver bumper, and to finish it off, there is a huge ‘DEFENDER’ badge on the front. 

From the side, the Defender is all bits an old-school rugged machine meant to go off-road and come back home safely. It has got a certain tall-boy design which does help in carving out interior space and also helps in making the cabin feel roomy. The rear door-mounted spare wheel is certainly a highlight of the design, and the modern squarish LED tail lights add a futuristic look to the SUV as well. 

The Defender is not the most compact one out there, and the bigger dimensions do instill a lot of confidence while off-roading. Apart from that, the ground clearance is high enough to go over a lot of obstacles but is still lower than the Wrangler’s massive nearly 11-inch clearance. The overall proportions of the Defender do make it a comfortable family hauler as well as a potent off-road machine. Some of the highlighting features of the Defender’s exterior are:

• 18-inch/19-inch/20-inch wheels
• LED headlights
• LED tail lights
• LED DRLs
• LED fog lights
• Roof rails
• Rear-door mounted spare wheels
• Silver and gloss black exterior trim

As mentioned earlier, the 2021 Land Rover Defender 110 is based on the all-new D7x platform, which is three times more rigid than any other body-on-frame SUV. For some technical context, it has 29 kN·m per degree of torsional rigidity that makes the Defender’s chassis the most rigid of any Land Rover to date. Apart from the chassis, Land Rover has also equipped the Defender with all the safety aids that they have on offer, with features like the forward collision mitigation and lane-keeping system offered as standard on the base trim onwards. That being said, some of the highlighting driver aids on offer are:

• Forward collision mitigation
• Lane-keeping system 
• Blind-spot monitoring
• 360-degree camera system
• Digital rearview mirror 
• Torque-vectoring differential
• Adaptive cruise control 

Land Rover Defender 110 Vs. Ford Bronco:

The Land Rover Defender offers a lot more when compared to the Bronco and does well to justify the price difference. It can also be offered in various seating configurations, whereas the Bronco is offered in a 5-seater configuration only. The Bronco, on the other hand, offers more torque on tap and feels more eager to accelerate when compared to the Defender’s base engine. 

Land Rover Defender 110 Vs. Toyota 4Runner:

The 4Runner is a better option in terms of past records and is also one of the most reliable picks to this day. It has a potent engine, and the A-TRAC system does wonders while off-roading. But the 4Runner is no match for the Defender’s luxury and the amenities coupled with the heritage and off-road quotient it holds.

Land Rover Defender 110 Vs. Jeep Wrangler:

Both of these SUVs have a solid nostalgia factor and do have a lot of heritage going on for themselves. The only thing binding these SUVs is the off-road capability, and other than that, both SUVs are vastly different in terms of the crowd they cater - the Wrangler caters to the frequent off-roaders and the more DIY preferring people while the Defender caters to the more luxury-focused people who spend most of their time on smooth pavements. 

If you’re out in the market looking for a luxurious off-road friendly SUV that has all the luxury amenities one needs while coupled with a bucket load of safety and high-tech assists to bring you home from the trail, the 2021 Land Rover Defender 110 makes a lot of sense. It has everything to please the crowd and also has an impressive Inline-6 on offer, which is a worthy upgrade from the Inline-4 unit and churns out more power without eating up fuel efficiency.