2020 Land Rover Defender Returns With A Complete Makeover (Photos)

The 2020 Land Rover Defender gets a complete makeover after almost 40 years of existence. Set to be unveiled at the upcoming  2019 Frankfurt Motor Show in Germany, the new 2020 Land Rover Defender (Codenamed L663), switches from body-on-frame construction to an aluminium monocoque derived from the D7 platform of current Range Rover, Range Rover Sport and Land Rover Discovery siblings.

Three-door Defender 90 and five-door Defender 110 models have been confirmed so far and a range of commercial variants will debut soon. The new Defender is built for the adventurous and curious, for those who know the value of community and strive to make a difference.

Five passenger seating is standard and an optional front jump seat that doubles as the center armrest can expand that to six. The 110 is also available in a seven-passenger configuration with a small two-seat third row.

The 2020 Land Rover Defender will be offered initially with the choice between a 296 hp 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine and a mild hybrid 395 hp 3.0-liter inline-six-cylinder with electric motor assist. Fuel economy figures have not been determined.

The Defender’s all-wheel-drive system comes with a two-speed locking center differential while off-road-focused models add a rear axle lock. An optional air suspension system can increase the Defender’s ground clearance from 8.6 inches to 11.5 inches and give it the ability to wade through water up to 35.4 inches deep.  The Defender is also capable of climbing, descending and traversing 45-degree grades. An 8 speed ZF automatic transmission is the only gear available for the new Land Rover Defender. However, some off-road enthusiasts are a little disappointed that the new Defender may lack the engagement they always enjoyed from the manual transmission in its predecessors.

The interior layout of the defender is modern and still retains some military feel to it. The next-generation Pivi Pro software is inspired by the latest smartphones and accessed through the central 10-inch touchscreen with an always-on design that provides instant responses, even when starting the vehicle for the first time.

The cabin is trimmed in upscale materials like leather strips on the dashboard and wood rails flanking the center console, but also has body-colored inserts on the door panels for a utilitarian touch.

Five trim levels are available: S, SE, HSE, First Edition (available for the first year) and range-topping Defender X.  There are also four accessory packs – Explorer, Adventure, Country and Urban. Buyers of the new Defender have 170 accessories to choose from including a pop-up roof tent to take full advantage of the roof’s ability to support a 300 kg static load.

Do you love this design or you think the old retro design should have been retained like Mercedes-Benz did to the G Wagon? Tell us what you think in the comment section below.